That Sounds Fun with Annie F. Downs

Today on the show, I get to talk with my friend and mentor, Nancy Mattingly. Her life is testament of so much joy and gratitude despite having walked through suffering in some really significant ways. In fact, just 6 months ago, we weren't sure Nancy was going to be with us much longer because of her battle with cancer, and today it's an honor to hear her tell her story and share it with all of us. We have a Gratitude Practice Guide available for you over on spirituallystronger.com - if you've never documented what you're grateful for this is an easy step to take. You just download and print it out and you'll have a way to document your gratitude throughout this week! . . . . Have you gotten a chance to watch the first 2 episodes of I Gotta Ask yet?! YOU GUYS. I've loved reading your messages and emails and I'm so so thrilled this project is finally out and we can all watch it together! What a dream come true. To watch, you just visit your Prime Video app, add the Wonder Project channel and you're ready to go! There's even a 7 day free trial for you so definitely take advantage of that. The next 2 episodes air on Thursday, June 4 and the last 2 on Thursday, June 11 for a total of 6 episodes and I cannot wait to hear what you think about all of them! For more details or a reminder on where to watch, visit igottaask.com! . . . . Eddie Kaufholz and I are currently on the road in May and June for The Buddies Tour and we want to see you there! We're heading to 6 different cities and it is a night of just pure fun. Get your tickets at thebuddiestour.com! . . . . Thank you to our sponsors: Thrive Causemetics: Go to thrivecausemetics.com/TSF for an exclusive offer of 20% off your first order. WayFair: Head to Wayfair.com right now to get your outdoor space ready for way less. BetterHelp: Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/thatsoundsfun. CreaTone: Get started with 20% off your first order. Visit TONETODAY.com… Promo Code TSF. The Wonder Project: Subscriber support makes more great content like I Gotta Ask with Annie F. Downs possible. The Wonder Project subscription on Prime Video is available in the U.S. for $8.99/month or $89.99/year after a 7-day free trial. Visit IGottaAsk.com to learn more! Capstone Wellness: Learn more at capstonewellness.com/thatsoundsfun. Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠. Boll and Branch: Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/thatsoundsfun with code thatsoundsfun. StoryWorth: Order RIGHT NOW and save up to $20 at storyworth.com/thatsoundsfun. Helix: Go to helixsleep.com/thatsoundsfun for 20% off site wide! NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dating. Money. Grief. Fear. Faith doesn't remove the hard. It meets you in it. Before the answers and the breakthrough, there were real questions… and Annie is asking!Introducing I Gotta Ask with Annie F. Downs! WATCH NOW on Wonder Project on Prime Video. Start your free trial today: https://amzn.to/4fm3U3v Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the show, Eddie and I talk about: Eddie's strange twitches (you're not ready)  Some of the behind the scenes of The Buddies tour  A little bit of wedding planning talk And the multiple uses of the word buffalo That list of randomness is also exactly how The Buddies Tour is going. We've had an absolute blast so far on this tour and we have 4 more shows to go. Are you coming?!? We will be in: Orlando, Florida on Friday, June 5th! Charlotte, North Carolina on Sunday, June 7th! Trussville (Birmingham), Alabama on Friday, June 12th! And Nashville, TN on Saturday, June 13th! There's a VIP Meet & Greet before the show (except Nashville & Charlotte's VIP are both sold out) and there's After Party for Single Purpose League at every stop. We're having a ball and tickets start at just $45 (that's including the added fees). You can find the dates and details at thebuddiestour.com We cannot wait to see you there!  . . . . . My brand new TV show I Gotta Ask is NOW STREAMING on the Wonder project channel on your Prime Video app… TO-DAY. The first 2 episodes are out and the next 2 drop next week…This is such a dream come true, AND an opportunity to bring hope to a whole new group of friends. What if this weekend you invite a few friends over for a little watch party? I know our Single Purpose League gals are planning to! Just pull out some snacks, turn on I Gotta Ask and then chat about what you think after you watch. Episode 1 we're talking about dating and episode 2 about finances, so there is PLENTY for you to chop up and talk about with your friends. Head to igottaask.com or thewonderproject.com to find all the details on how to watch and start a free 7 day trial. . . . . . Want to watch this episode? Watch on your Spotify App, or head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  We have a Substack now! Find it at spirituallystronger.com. Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! . . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! Capstone Wellness: Learn more at capstonewellness.com/thatsoundsfun. Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠. Boll and Branch: Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/thatsoundsfun with code thatsoundsfun. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pastor Matt Chandler is here today for the second part of our conversation about confession. Last week, we talked about what it looks like to confess to God and today we talk about what it looks like to confess to others. Matt reminds us the way confession and repentance is a gift—an invitation to deeper intimacy with God and others. If you missed it last week, we have a confession practice guide available for all of our paid substack subscribers over on spirituallystronger.com!We've been so moved by the emails and letters y'all have sent in with your confessions. Thank you for trusting us with that. If you need a place just to say the hard thing…to practice before you say it to your people…we're happy to be that place. Feel free to email us at tellmemore@anniefdowns.com Find the show notes here . . . . My brand new TV show premieres THIS WEEK on the Wonder Project channel on Prime Video. The first 2 episodes of season 1 of I Gotta Ask air this Thursday, May 28th. There's a 7 day free trial for you, so you can watch both episodes totally free. In every episode, I sit down with a group of friends, some experts in their fields, some thought leaders, and some just my real life people—you're going to get to hear from Shawn Johnson East & Andrew East, Melinda Doolittle, Jon Acuff, Trillia Newbell, celebrity matchmakers, and so many more. If you go to thewonderproject.com, it'll give you steps on signing up for the free trial through your Prime Video app. . . . . Eddie Kaufholz and I are currently on the road in May and June for The Buddies Tour and we want to see you there! We're heading to 6 different cities and it is a night of just pure fun. Get your tickets at thebuddiestour.com! . . . . Thank you to our sponsors: ELIC: Head to elic.org/thatsoundsfun to learn more. BetterHelp: Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/thatsoundsfun. Good Ranchers: Get free meat with every order AND $100 off your first three orders when you start your subscription plan - this month only. Or if you just wanna try it out, you can get $40 off your first order with my code THATSOUNDSFUN instead! GoodRanchers.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pastor Aaron Graham is the founder and lead pastor of a thriving, multicultural church in Washington, D.C. representing more than 80 nations, called The District Church, and he's spent years helping people navigate faith and culture. He's also the author of a brand new book called Unshakable Faith, where he talks about how to stand firm in what we believe, even when everything around us feels like it's shifting. Today we're unpacking a new spiritual rhythm-- confession. Aaron helps us rethink confession…not as something heavy or shame-filled, but as an invitation back into closeness with God. Join us over on spirituallystronger.com as well where we have a confession practice guide for you to use. This is just a simple download that will help you think through what may need to be brought into the light. And if you need a place to share what you've been struggling with and need someone to confess to, you can always send us an email at tellmemore@anniefdowns.com. We'd be honored to read them. Find the show notes here . . . . Have you heard the fun announcement?! Ya girl AFD has her own TV show!! I cannot believe I get to say that. Season 1 of my brand new talk show, I Gotta Ask, airs Thursday, May 28th on the Wonder Project which you can find through your Amazon Prime Video app. You may have heard of The Wonder Project because they're the ones who brought you The House of David, and I am SO honored and honestly have ZERO CHILL that I get to partner with them to make this dream come true. We'll of course make sure you know exactly how to find the show as soon as it's released, there's even a 7 day free trial for you, but for now, put a little reminder in your phone or put it your calendar, because the first 2 episodes of season 1 drop on Thursday, May 28th and I cannot wait to hear what you think. In every episode, I sit down with a group of friends, some experts in their fields, some thought leaders, and some just my real life people, and we talk about things like: Why is dating so hard in 2026? How do I build a business? What do I do with fear and anxiety? And so many more questions that I just had to ask. . . . . Eddie Kaufholz and I are hitting the road in May and June for The Buddies Tour and we want to see you there! We're heading to 6 different cities and y'all this is going to be a night of just pure fun. Get your tickets at thebuddiestour.com. . . . . Thank you to our sponsors: BetterHelp: Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/thatsoundsfun. OurPlace: Visit fromourplace.com/TSF and use code TSF for 10% off sitewide. Brodo: Head to Brodo.com/THATSOUNDSFUN for 20% off your first subscription order and use code THATSOUNDSFUN for an additional $10 off. Ritual: Save 25% on your first month at Ritual.com/THATSOUNDSFUN. Capstone Wellness: Learn more at capstonewellness.com/thatsoundsfun. Boll and Branch: Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/thatsoundsfun with code thatsoundsfun. Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We recently recorded an episode of Single Purpose League about mothering, and as soon as we finished, I looked at the team and said, “Should we share this with the larger That Sounds Fun audience?” With Mother's Day this past Sunday, we recognize how complicated that day can be for so many of us. For some, you're mourning the loss of your mom or the mom you'd hope for. For others, you're mourning the fact that you can't biologically have children. And for others, you're carrying the tension of being a mom while also wrestling with the fact that it's harder than you ever could have imagined.  In this episode from Single Purpose League, you're going to hear a conversation between myself, Katy Boatman who co-leads Single Purpose League with me, and our friend, Christen who is a single mom of two adopted little boys.  Our hope is that whatever emotion this day holds, you'll be reminded that the story God writes is full of hope and purpose, even if it's harder than you would have imagined. If you're not married right now, and you want to hear more conversations like this, we'd love to get to know you in Single Purpose League! We drop a new episode once a month over on Patreon and then we get to chat it up and talk about it together on our monthly livestreams. It's a blast and we still have a lot of fun things planned for SPL this year. Check it out at singlepurposeleague.com. Find the show notes here . . . . Eddie Kaufholz and I are hitting the road in May and June for The Buddies Tour and we want to see you there! We're heading to 6 different cities and y'all this is going to be a night of just pure fun. Get your tickets at thebuddiestour.com. . . . . Thank you to our sponsors: Boll and Branch: Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/thatsoundsfun with code thatsoundsfun. Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠. Capstone Wellness: Learn more at capstonewellness.com/thatsoundsfun. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we are unpacking generosity with my friend, Jon Acuff. Jon is always equal parts hilarious, honest, and incredibly helpful, and today's conversation is one I think you're going to love. As we talk about generosity…we're going to talk about what it practically looks like, how it changes us, and ways to be generous with more than just our money. Jon brings so much wisdom and practical perspective to this conversation. He also has a brand new book out called Procrastination Proof, so we get into that too—how to stop putting off the things that matter most, how to actually make progress, and why procrastination doesn't have to run the show. We also have a Generosity Practice Guide available for you over today on spirituallystronger.com We want to make sure we're not just talking about spiritual disciplines this year, but actually putting them into practice, so we've created this practice guide to give you some ideas. Typically our resources are available only to our Spiritually Stronger paid substack subscribers, but we wanted to give you a peek at what these guides are like because we have 3 more coming soon. So in the spirit of generosity, today it's free ;) Just head over to spirituallystronger.com to download it.  . . . . Eddie Kaufholz and I are hitting the road in May and June for The Buddies Tour and we want to see you there! We're heading to 6 different cities and y'all this is going to be a night of just pure fun. Get your tickets at thebuddiestour.com. . . . . Thank you to our sponsors: ELIC: You can learn more at elic.org/thatsoundsfun.  CreaTone: Get started with 20% off your first order. Visit TONETODAY.com,  promo code TSF. This show is sponsored by BetterHelp: Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/thatsoundsfun. Capstone Wellness: Learn more at capstonewellness.com/thatsoundsfun. Boll and Branch: Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/thatsoundsfun with code thatsoundsfun. Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the very first episode of what we're calling AFD's Friday Faves! I have a playlist on Spotify called AFD's Friday Faves where I'll update it from time to time with music I'm listening to or songs I think you'll love, and now we're bringing it to the podcast.  These shorter episodes won't happen every Friday, but we wanted to make space to tell you stories and introduce you to friends who are creating incredible music, so AFD's Friday Faves will pop up in your feed from time to time, and there is no better way to kick this off than with Amy Grant. Today her brand-new record, The Me That Remains releases. It is the kind of record that makes you want to sit on your porch and listen all the way through. Amy said, “I hope this album feels easy to be with,” and I thought… yes. That's exactly it. Because that's true of Amy too. She is easy to be with, but she always brings important things with her. So whether you're on your porch, in your car, on a walk, or just trying to make it through your day, I think you're going to love this conversation. . . . . Eddie Kaufholz and I are hitting the road in May and June for The Buddies Tour and we want to see you there! We're heading to 6 different cities and y'all this is going to be a night of just pure fun. Get your tickets at thebuddiestour.com. . . . . Thank you to our sponsors: Capstone Wellness: Learn more at capstonewellness.com/thatsoundsfun. Boll and Branch: Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/thatsoundsfun with code thatsoundsfun. Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Now that we've covered 2 different spiritual disciplines, prayer and fasting, we wanted to zoom out for a minute and talk about the practical side of our rhythms. Do we have to start our mornings with a quiet time? What if you're a busy parent or a single mom? What does time with God in the morning look like? We're talking about all of it today with Jennifer Dukes Lee! I really think you're going to love her new book, How to Love Your Morning. Honestly, if you're looking for a gift idea for a mom, this would be a great one.  Morning person or not, let's figure out how to start our day from a place of surrender with God. It doesn't have to be quiet and it doesn't have to be hours long. Join us on Substack at spirituallystronger.com! View the show notes here . . . . Eddie Kaufholz and I are hitting the road in May and June for The Buddies Tour and we want to see you there! We're heading to 6 different cities and y'all this is going to be a night of just pure fun. Get your tickets at thebuddiestour.com. . . . . Thank you to our sponsors: AG1: Visit drinkag1.com/SOUNDSFUN to get a FREE AG1 Flavor Sampler and a bottle of Vitamin D3+K2 in your AG1 Welcome Kit when you first subscribe, a $72 value. OurPlace: Stop cooking with toxic cookware, and upgrade to Our Place today. Visit fromourplace.com/TSF and use code TSF for 10% off sitewide.  WayFair: Head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. This show is sponsored by BetterHelp: Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/thatsoundsfun. Capstone Wellness: Learn more at capstonewellness.com/thatsoundsfun. Boll and Branch: Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/thatsoundsfun with code thatsoundsfun. Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the show, Eddie and I get to keep talking about the new season of Serial, whether we got Olympics tickets or not, merch at the Masters, laundry services, SNL UK, and our fear of heights and claustrophobia... Y'all know we always have long lists to cover and it's going to be the same way on The Buddies Tour.! We hit the road for the Buddies Tour in 2 WEEKS, YOU GUYS! Have you gotten your tickets yet?! Eddie and I are coming to: Keller (Fort Worth), Texas on Friday, May 15th Colorado Springs, Colorado on Saturday, May 16th Orlando, Florida on Friday, June 5th Charlotte, North Carolina on Sunday, June 7th Trussville (Birmingham), Alabama on Friday, June 12th Nashville, TN on Saturday, June 13th You can find the dates and details at thebuddiestour.com. We cannot wait to see you there!  . . . . . Want to watch this episode? Watch on your Spotify App, or head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  We have a Substack now! Find it at spirituallystronger.com. Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! . . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! Boll and Branch: Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/thatsoundsfun with code thatsoundsfun. Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠. Capstone Wellness: Learn more at capstonewellness.com/thatsoundsfun. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sissy Goff and David Thomas are here today from Raising Boys and Girls! Today we talk about the decline they've seen in the capability of kids throughout their work as counselors over the past 30 years, and what we, as adults who deeply care about this next generation, can do about it. Whether you're a parent, an aunt, a teacher, or a mentor, this is an important conversation full of hope and also full of straightforward honesty about raising up boys and girls who are fully capable of taking on the world.  David and Sissy's brand new book, Capable: How to Teach Your Kids the Strengths, Skills, and Strategies to Build Resilience, is a must read! Find the show notes here . . . . Eddie Kaufholz and I are hitting the road in May and June for The Buddies Tour and we want to see you there! We're heading to 6 different cities and y'all this is going to be a night of just pure fun. Get your tickets at thebuddiestour.com. . . . . Thank you to our sponsors: Thrive Causemetics: Go to thrivecausemetics.com/TSF for an exclusive offer of 20% off your first order. Brodo: Head to Brodo.com/THATSOUNDSFUN for 20% off your first subscription order and use code THATSOUNDSFUN for an additional $10 off. This show is sponsored by BetterHelp: Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/thatsoundsfun. ELIC: You can learn more at elic.org/thatsoundsfun. Boll and Branch: Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/thatsoundsfun with code thatsoundsfun. Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠. Capstone Wellness: Learn more at capstonewellness.com/thatsoundsfun. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I get to talk with my friends Pastor Kevin Queen and Pastor Dave Clayton. Both are extremely wise voices not only in my life but in the lives of so many here in middle Tennessee. When I knew I wanted us to talk about what it looks like to do an extended fast, these were the 2 first I thought of. We're talking about everything from why it can feel weird to talk about fasting, what it looks like to lead people through a corporate fast, and what it looks like to do an extended fast. Maybe it's 3 days or 7 days or 21 days or 40 days. That may not be for everyone, but it is for someone and I wanted these two to help discern what that looks like and how to walk through it with discipline and grace. After you listen, head over to spirituallystronger.com. I'm telling a story about the moment I felt Holy Spirit invite me into an extended fast. And as always, we have questions there for you to process and think through this week. View the show notes here . . . . Eddie Kaufholz and I are hitting the road in May and June for The Buddies Tour and we want to see you there! We're heading to 6 different cities and y'all this is going to be a night of just pure fun. Get your tickets at thebuddiestour.com. . . . . Thank you to our sponsors: Ritual: Save 25% on your first month at Ritual.com/THATSOUNDSFUN.  This show is sponsored by BetterHelp: Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/thatsoundsfun. CreaTone: Get started with 20% off your first order at TONETODAY.com, promo code TSF. OurPlace: Visit fromourplace.com/TSF and use code TSF for 10% off sitewide. Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠. Capstone Wellness: Learn more at capstonewellness.com/thatsoundsfun. Boll and Branch: Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/thatsoundsfun with code thatsoundsfun. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ryan Wekenman is back today to help us continue to unpack and better understand the spiritual discipline of fasting. If it's something you've never tried and have always had questions or hesitations about, this conversation is going to be so helpful, especially as we get ready to practice fasting together tomorrow, April 14th! We have a guide for you to use to you have some things to read and pray through. That's available to all of our paid Substack subscribers over at spirituallystronger.com. If you're not yet subscribed, it's never too late to jump us!  Ryan also has a brand new book coming out tomorrow called Free Me from Me: Escaping the Maze of Self-Centeredness by Embracing a God-Centered Life and it is excellent. We get to talk about that too and I'm really excited for you to read this book. Find the show notes here . . . . Eddie Kaufholz and I are hitting the road in May and June for The Buddies Tour and we want to see you there! We're heading to 6 different cities and y'all this is going to be a night of just pure fun. Get your tickets at thebuddiestour.com. . . . . Thank you to our sponsors: This show is sponsored by BetterHelp: Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/thatsoundsfun. ELIC: You can learn more at elic.org/thatsoundsfun. Boll and Branch: Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/thatsoundsfun with code thatsoundsfun. Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠. Capstone Wellness: Learn more at capstonewellness.com/thatsoundsfun. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the show, I get to talk to my new friend, Sophia Ruffin-Wilson. Sophia is an influencer, author, creator, and prophetic voice whose message of deliverance and transformation has resonated powerfully around the world. I started following her on instagram and fell in love with her wisdom and overall FUN vibes and knew we were meant to be friends.  Today you're going to get to hear some of her story, what God's teaching her right now, how Holy Spirit is speaking to her, and why she named her book It Will Be God. There's no new post today over on Substack since this is a bonus episode, but remember we're going to practice fasting together as a community on Tuesday, April 14th and we have a free prayer guide for you to use that day, so head over to spirituallystronger.com to subscribe and you can find it there. View the show notes here . . . . Eddie Kaufholz and I are hitting the road in May and June for The Buddies Tour and we want to see you there! We're heading to 6 different cities and y'all this is going to be a night of just pure fun. Get your tickets at thebuddiestour.com. . . . . Thank you to our sponsors: Boll and Branch: Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/thatsoundsfun with code thatsoundsfun. Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠. Capstone Wellness: Learn more at capstonewellness.com/thatsoundsfun. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex Seeley is a Bible teacher, author, and co-founder of the Belonging Co. here in Nashville, and this is her 3rd time on the show. As we continue talking about the spiritual discipline of fasting, she is such a wise voice to help us understand why this practice really makes a difference in our relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and she's also helping us better understand specifically our relationship with Holy Spirit. Her next book, which comes out tomorrow, is called  The Divine Counselor and is about just that— understanding we have direct access to the greatest helper, teacher, advocate, and counselor. After you listen, head over to spirituallystronger.com where we can continue to unpack this conversation together AND we want to invite you to put this spiritual discipline into practice with us on Tuesday, April 14th. We're going to have a That Sounds Fun: Spiritually Stronger Day of Fasting, so together as a community, we can spend the day fasting and praying. It's important to us that we not just talk about how powerful these rhythms are, but actually give you a chance to practice them. View the show notes here . . . . Thank you to our sponsors: This show is sponsored by BetterHelp: Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/thatsoundsfun.  Thrive Causemetics: Go to thrivecausemetics.com/TSF for an exclusive offer of 20% off your first order. Our Place: Save up to 40% on your site wide now through April 12th at fromourplace.com/TSF. Wayfair: Way Day is THE sale to shop the best deals in home – we're talking up to 80% OFF with fast and FREE shipping on everything! Head to Wayfair.com April 25th through the 27th to shop Way Day.  Boll and Branch: Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/thatsoundsfun with code thatsoundsfun. Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠. Capstone Wellness: Learn more at capstonewellness.com/thatsoundsfun. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Holy Week Bible Reading: Easter Sunday Matthew 28:1-10 Mark 16:1-13 Luke 24:1-35 John 20:1-25 (Read from my Bible in the New International Version 1984 and a portion of the Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones) #TSFHolyWeek #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Holy Week Bible Reading: Good Friday Matthew 26:47-27:66 Mark 14:43-15:47 Luke 22:47-23:56 John 18:2-19:42 (Read in The Message Version) . . . . . There will be no reading tomorrow. Nothing is recorded in Scripture of this Saturday. But Sunday is coming... #TSFHolyWeek #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Holy Week Bible Reading: Thursday Matthew 26:17-46 Mark 14:12-42 Luke 22:7-46 John 13-17:26 (Read from the Christian Standard Bible Version) . . . . . #TSFHolyWeek #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Holy Week Bible Reading: Wednesday Matthew 26:14-16 Mark 14:10-11 Luke 22:3-6 (Read from the New English Translation) . . . . . #TSFHolyWeek #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Holy Week Bible Reading: Tuesday Matthew 21:23-23:39, 26:6-13 Mark 11:27-12:44 Luke 20-21:4 John 12:2-11 (Read in the New Living Translation) . . . . . #TSFHolyWeek #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Holy Week Bible Reading: Monday Matthew 21:12-22 Mark 11:12-18 Luke 19:45-48 (Read in the English Standard Version) . . . . . #TSFHolyWeek #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Holy Week Bible Reading: Palm Sunday Matthew 21:1-11 Mark 11:1-11 Luke 19:29-44 John 12:12-19 (Read from my Bible in the New International Version 1984) . . . . . #TSFHolyWeek #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the show, I get to talk with my friend, Rabbi Jason Sobel. You may remember him from episode 1022 when we had him here during Advent to talk about the connections between the Old Testament and the New Testament when it comes to Jesus' birth. Immediately when we finished recording that episode, I told him he had to come back and talk to us during Lent to help us also talk through Jesus' resurrection. He has served as a spiritual advisor for The Chosen since it started and y'all went nuts for his latest book, Transformed By the Messiah. ME TOO. Rabbi Jason is a Jewish man who believes Jesus is the Messiah, and the way he connects the dots between the Old Testament and the new is like watching the story of Jesus go from regular definition to full-on high definition. Next week, we won't be airing any new Spiritually Stronger episodes, but we are going to air a daily Scripture reading for Holy Week. I'll read through the stories from the Gospels that correlate with each day's events during Holy Week. We've made a reading plan for you too that you can check off whether you prefer to read or listen along. You can find that at spirituallystronger.com! Find the show notes here . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! Boll and Branch: Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/thatsoundsfun with code thatsoundsfun. Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠. Capstone Wellness: Learn more at capstonewellness.com/thatsoundsfun. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're going to keep talking about fasting today with my friend, Dr. Derwin Gray. He is the co-founding and Lead Pastor of Transformation Church, just outside of Charlotte, NC.  We also talking about memorizing Scripture and what grace really looks like as we prepare for Holy Week. Head over to spirituallystronger.com after you listen because he also mentions “virtue ethics” today and I want us to talk about this some more and how it relates to spiritual disciplines. I'm really curious what you think. . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! This show is sponsored by BetterHelp: Sign up and my friends get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/thatsoundsfun. Ritual: Save 25% on your first month at Ritual.com/THATSOUNDSFUN. CreaTone: Get started with 20% off your first order. at TONETODAY.com, promo code TSF. Brodo: Head to Brodo.com/THATSOUNDSFUN for 20% off your first subscription order and use code THATSOUNDSFUN for an additional $10 off. Boll and Branch: Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/thatsoundsfun with code thatsoundsfun. Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠. Capstone Wellness: Learn more at capstonewellness.com/thatsoundsfun. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the show, Eddie and I get to keep talking about the Winter Olympics (mountaineering is wild!), the latest wild west movie I've watched, snow skiing stories, the difference in weighing things vs measuring them, and what makes a good biscuit... and of course we're just adding to the list of what we want The Buddies Tour to look like!  Plus, you're not ready to hear Eddie's new way of saying, “I have to use the restroom.” Things get a bit unhinged today.  Have you gotten your tickets to The Buddies tour yet?! Eddie and I are coming to: Keller (Fort Worth), Texas on Friday, May 15th Colorado Springs, Colorado on Saturday, May 16th Orlando, Florida on Friday, June 5th Charlotte, North Carolina on Sunday, June 7th Trussville (Birmingham), Alabama on Friday, June 12th Nashville, TN on Saturday, June 13th Y'all, this is going to be an actual blast. I hope these nights are just pure fun. Tickets are selling QUICKLY! Go to thebuddiestour.com We cannot wait to see you there! IF YOU MAKE SOAP, please come tell us over on instagram at @thatsoundsfunpodcast or shoot us an email at tellmemore@anniefdowns.com. . . . . . ⁠Find the show notes here⁠ Want to watch this episode? Watch on your Spotify App, or head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  We have a Substack now! Find it at spirituallystronger.com. Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! . . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠. Capstone Wellness: Learn more at capstonewellness.com/thatsoundsfun. Boll and Branch: Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/thatsoundsfun with code thatsoundsfun. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's time to talk about fasting. Lisa Bevere is a spiritual mom to a lot of us and was the exact right person to help us kick off this conversation. What I love about this conversation is how Lisa reframes fasting not as punishment or performance — but as invitation. As a way of intentionally making space for God to move in us and through us. We talk about what fasting actually is — and what it isn't. We talk about motives, about hunger (the physical and the spiritual kind), and about how fasting, when paired with prayer, can sharpen our awareness of God's presence in everyday life. It's practical and deeply spiritual at the same time. If fasting is something you've been curious about but never tried, we talk about some simple ways to start. Head over to spirituallystronger.com after you listen as we process this together and give some questions to think through this week. Remember, this year we're saying give us one hour a week listening to this episode and 10 minutes a day going through the Substack questions. We have loved this rhythm and love reading your comments each week! . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! This show is sponsored by BetterHelp: Sign up and my friends get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/thatsoundsfun. ELIC: To learn more, visit elic.org/thatsoundsfun. Wayfair: Head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. Our Place: Visit fromourplace.com/TSF and use code TSF for 10% off sitewide. Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠. Capstone Wellness: Learn more at capstonewellness.com/thatsoundsfun. Boll and Branch: Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/thatsoundsfun with code thatsoundsfun. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My friend Jen Lilley is joining us today. She's an actress, producer, storyteller, and just a total delight of a human. You may know her from Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, or Hallmark and Great American Family movies. But here's what I really love about her: behind the film sets is a woman with a deep, vibrant, anchored faith. So, while we thought we were taking a break from our theme this week, what you'll hear is a friend who is indeed Spiritually Strong. Jen has written a 365-day devotional called Wake Up Your Faith that you absolutely want a copy of and in this conversation we get to beautifully usher in next week's introduction to our next spiritual discipline: fasting. Find us on Substack at spirituallystronger.com!  . . . .  Thank you to our sponsors! AG1: Go to drinkag1.com/SOUNDSFUN to get an AG1 Flavor Sampler and a bottle of Vitamin D3+K2 for FREE in your AG1 Welcome Kit with your first AG1subscription order! This show is sponsored by BetterHelp: Sign up and my friends get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/thatsoundsfun. CreaTone: Let me get you started with 20% off your first order. Visit TONETODAY.com, promo code TSF. ELIC: To learn more, visit elic.org/thatsoundsfun.  Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠. Capstone Wellness: Learn more at capstonewellness.com/thatsoundsfun. Boll and Branch: Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/thatsoundsfun with code thatsoundsfun. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt Smallbone is the pastor of Church of the City's downtown campus here in Nashville, and we're continuing with a bit of a theme today as we talk again this week about The Lord's Prayer. Every time we talk about it during this prayer series though, I feel like there's something new to see and something deeper to understand. It's wild how a prayer so familiar, so memorized, so repeated, can still surprise us. Matt has written a brand new book called The Prayer Experiment that comes out in April and you're going to love. We're unpacking all of this over on spirituallystronger.com too, so please come join us as we process together over there! . . . .   Thank you to our sponsors! This show is sponsored by BetterHelp: Sign up and my friends get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/thatsoundsfun. Our Place:  Visit fromourplace.com/TSF and use code TSF for 10% off sitewide. With a hundred-day risk-free trial, free shipping and returns, you can experience this game-changing cookware with zero risk. Brodo: Head to Brodo.com/THATSOUNDSFUN for 20% off your first subscription order and use code THATSOUNDSFUN for an additional $10 off Thrive Causemetics: Go to thrivecausemetics.com/TSF for an exclusive offer of 20% off your first order. Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠. Capstone Wellness: Learn more at capstonewellness.com/thatsoundsfun. Ritual: Save 25% on your first month at Ritual.com/THATSOUNDSFUN. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today Eddie and I get to keep talking about how much is going on in the world right now and just how hard it is for all of us to wrestle with it. We also talk about my ceiling falling in during the ice storm in Nashville! Our "7 minutes of serious" turned into closer to 47! But don't worry, we of course had to wrap things up by chatting for a bit about Oscar nominations, Zootopia 2, and the first movie we ever remember seeing. Also... THE BUDDIES TOUR DATES AND CITIES HAVE NOW BEEN ANNOUNCED! We're coming to: Keller (Fort Worth), Texas on Friday, May 15th Colorado Springs, Colorado on Saturday, May 16th Charlotte, North Carolina on Friday, June 5th Trussville (Birmingham), Alabama on Friday, June 12th And maybe more…stay tuned! You can find the dates and details at thebuddiestour.com and because you're a podcast listener you get pre-sale access to tickets TODAY!!! Just use the code BUDDIES and get your tickets at thebuddiestour.com. We cannot wait to see you there! . . . . . Want to watch this episode? Watch on your Spotify App, or head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  We have a Substack now! Find it at spirituallystronger.com. Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! . . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! Our Place:  Visit fromourplace.com/TSF and use code TSF for 10% off sitewide. With a hundred-day risk-free trial, free shipping and returns, you can experience this game-changing cookware with zero risk. Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠. Capstone Wellness: Learn more at capstonewellness.com/thatsoundsfun. Ritual: Save 25% on your first month at Ritual.com/THATSOUNDSFUN. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you've ever felt stuck and don't have the words to pray, or you've felt so discouraged or disoriented that you don't know where to start, this conversation is for you. Brad Gray and Brad Nelson are both with the organization Walking the Text, where they help people understand the original meaning and context of Scripture. They've been friends for 25 years and have now gotten to work on a documentary, TV series, and book all around The Lord's Prayer. Their depth of knowledge around Scripture is incredible and they're helping us figure out how to use the Lord's prayer in our daily rhythms with God. There are some really practical ways to do this that we talk about at the end and I think you're going to want to get your note-taking pages ready. We're unpacking all of this over on spirituallystronger.com too, so please come join us! Go grab your copy of Bringing Heaven Here and go watch The Lord's Prayer! We have a free link: angel.com/annie OR you can find all of their resources at thelordsprayer.com. . . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! Tovala: Get a Tovala smart oven for just $49, PLUS free shipping, when you order meals 6+ times. Just go to Tovala.com/THATSOUNDSFUN and use my code THATSOUNDSFUN. AG1: For a limited time only, go to drinkag1.com/SOUNDSFUN to get a FREE AG1 Flavor Sampler and AGZ Sampler to try all the flavors, plus FREE Vitamin D3+K2 and AG1 Welcome Kit with your first AG1 subscription order! This show is sponsored by BetterHelp: Sign up and my friends get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/thatsoundsfun. Our Place:  Visit fromourplace.com/TSF and use code TSF for 10% off sitewide. With a hundred-day risk-free trial, free shipping and returns, you can experience this game-changing cookware with zero risk. Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠. Capstone Wellness: Learn more at capstonewellness.com/thatsoundsfun. Ritual: Save 25% on your first month at Ritual.com/THATSOUNDSFUN. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Y'all are going to LOVE this episode with my old friend Tim Timmons and my new friend, Milo Ventimiglia. You may know Milo from Gilmore Girls or This is Us, but he's playing Tim Timmons in the brand new movie, I Can Only Imagine 2, which comes out TOMORROW! Go get your tickets, you've got to see this movie.  Tim toured with Bart Millard and MercyMe, and this movie tells the story of how Tim unknowingly brought renewed gratitude to Bart's life through their friendship—and the powerful lessons of grief and gratitude we learn through Tim's journey with terminal cancer. You're also going to hear the incredible new but lifelong friendship that's been created between Milo and Tim as Milo researched his life and got to know him in order to play this role. It's really incredible to see. Tim also has a book coming out on March 3 called Waking Up Again, so preorder your copy so you have it the day it comes out! . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠. Capstone Wellness: Learn more at capstonewellness.com/thatsoundsfun. Ritual: Save 25% on your first month at Ritual.com/THATSOUNDSFUN. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lauren Tomlin is a PRAYER WARRIOR which is why I called her for this series, because I wanted a friend to sit down with me and really talk about how to pray.  If you've ever wondered if God actually hears you when you pray or if you can trust what you hear from God when you pray, this conversation is for you. If you feel overwhelmed by all of the hard happening around us, we're going to talk about how to pray. If you've wondered how to discern what God's telling you, we're going there too. And if you just need a minute to sit with God, Lauren's going to lead us through a guided prayer at the very end. I don't want you to miss it.  . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! ELIC: Visit elic.org/thatsoundsfun to learn more. This show is sponsored by BetterHelp: Sign up and my friends get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/thatsoundsfun. CreaTone: Let me get you started with 20% off your first order. Visit TONETODAY.com, promo code TSF.  Brodo: Head to Brodo.com/THATSOUNDSFUN for 20% off your first subscription order and use code THATSOUNDSFUN for an additional $10 off. Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠. Capstone Wellness: Learn more at capstonewellness.com/thatsoundsfun. Ritual: Save 25% on your first month at Ritual.com/THATSOUNDSFUN. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here is PART 2 of our episode with Lauren and Thomas Rhett Akins. If you haven't had a chance to listen to part 1, go back and do that first before you listen to this episode. I want you to get the full story of what God's been doing in their lives over the last year. They continue the story of moving their family to Uganda for 6 weeks. They were obedient in saying yes to God, and yet it was not the perfect trip tied up with a bow. There are still questions they have for God they may never get answers to, but I hope you'll listen for the thread of God's nearness through it all. You may not be sent to Africa for 6 weeks, but where do you see God continuing to ask you to trust Him even when it doesn't make sense? Where have you experienced His nearness when everything around you felt hard? Don't miss the conversation and processing we're going over on Substack this week either. I think the questions we're asking each day this week will really help you look for the places God's asking for obedience in your own life. You can find all of that spirituallystronger.com. If you have any questions from this episode drop them in the Q&A box on your Spotify app if you're a Spotify listener, or send them to us on instagram at @thatsoundsfunpodcast and we'll try to answer them there!  . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠. Capstone Wellness: Learn more at capstonewellness.com/thatsoundsfun. Ritual: Save 25% on your first month at Ritual.com/THATSOUNDSFUN. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You may know Thomas Rhett from his incredible country music career or Lauren from her beloved Live in Love podcast or book, but I want you to get to know (and hear) their deep faith today. When they called me and said, “We want to tell the story of what God did in our lives last year,” I knew we had to share it. As we talk about prayer this month, I want you to hear what perseverance and obedience in prayer looked like in their lives through this story.  Last year, they spent 6 weeks living in Uganda after sensing God telling them that's what they were supposed to do, and it wasn't the trip they imagined. At all. You're going to hear the entire story along with their journey over the last couple years of trying to figure out if they should grow their family (spoiler alert: Lauren is due any minute with their 5th!).  In these two episodes, you'll hear the power of prayer, the way God speaks when we make space to listen for His voice, the reminder that we're never alone, and the reality that obedience to God is never promised to be easy. You're not going to want to miss part 2 coming your way on Thursday.  And remember, head over to spirituallystronger.com today where we're processing what perseverance and obedience in prayer looks like in our lives.   . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! ELIC: Visit elic.org/thatsoundsfun to learn more!  WayFair: Head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. Our Place: Visit fromourplace.com/TSF and use code TSF for 10% off sitewide. This show is sponsored by BetterHelp: Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/thatsoundsfun. Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠. Capstone Wellness: Learn more at capstonewellness.com/thatsoundsfun. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You may remember Pete Greig when he was on our last prayer series here on That Sounds Fun. He's an author and founder of the 24/7 prayer movement, and y'all have heard me reference the daily devotional Lectio365 so many times- he's the co-host of that! I LOVE it. Today we're talking about Pete's recent 3 month sabbatical, how time with God and prayer shifted for him and his wife during those months, what they learned from it, and how prayer impacts our relationship with God. I also got to ask him what we do when God doesn't answer our prayers.. and I think Pete's wisdom in his response is SO helpful.  I can't wait for you to hear this, and I would love for you to keep talking to us about this episode over on Substack! You can find today's post and questions over at spirituallystronger.com!  . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! This show is sponsored by BetterHelp: Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/thatsoundsfun. Tovala: Save up to $300 on the Tovala smart oven when you order meals 6 or more & heading to Tovala.com/THATSOUNDSFUN. Use my code THATSOUNDSFUN.  Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠. Capstone Wellness: Learn more at capstonewellness.com/thatsoundsfun. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the show, I get to keep talking with our buddy Eddie Kaufholz. A new year and new us… we're talking about mice, the Winter Olympics, The Golden Globes, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, Will Arnett...and then a **special announcement** I think you're absolutely going to love! You don't want to miss this one!  . . . . . On a related note... TheBuddiesTour.com Want to watch this episode? Watch on your Spotify App, or head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  We have a Substack now! Find it at spirituallystronger.com. Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! . . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠. Boll and Branch: Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/THATSOUNDSFUN and use code THATSOUNDSFUN. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are going to spend the next 5 weeks talking about prayer, and Christine Caine is here to help us kick off that conversation. If we're going to be spiritually stronger in a world we cannot control, we have got to get serious about prayer. Chris is going to fire you up today about your prayer life! We talk about her prayer life as an activist, her turning 60 this year and continuing to run her race harder, olive trees, and what Jesus tells the disciples to pray for in Matthew 9. You don't want to miss this one!  She also has a new book coming out  on February 10th called The Faith to Flourish which is perfect for what we're talking about right now. You're going to want to preorder your copy today!  We want our miniBFFs to learn about prayer today too, so parents, there's a brand new episode for them today over on the miniBFF podcast. We also will continue this conversation and I'll tell you some of my over on our Substack. You can find that at spirituallystronger.com.  . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! Our Place: Visit fromourplace.com/TSF and use code TSF for 10% off sitewide. Thrive Causemetics: Go to thrivecausemetics.com/TSF for an exclusive offer of 20% off your first order This show is sponsored by BetterHelp: Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/thatsoundsfun. CreaTone: Let's get you started with 20% off your first order. Visit tonetoday.com and use our code TSF for your discount. AG1: Go to drinkag1.com/SOUNDSFUN to get their best offer… get 3 FREE AG1 Travel Packs and 3 FREE AGZ Travel Packs, plus FREE Vitamin D3+K2 and AG1 Welcome Kit with your first AG1 subscription order!  Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠. Boll and Branch: Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/THATSOUNDSFUN and use code THATSOUNDSFUN. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Kevin Queen's 10th time on That Sound Fun which basically means he just lapped Hall of Fun status twice!! Today he's helping pastor us as we get started on this journey to become spiritually stronger. We talk about one of the tensions you might face as we get started talking about spiritual disciples and rhythms. We don't want any of this to feel like things you need to check off in order to earn something from God, and Kevin has a really helpful way for us to keep that in check. Then we're going to talk about journaling. If we're going to spend 18 months talking about ways to get spiritually stronger, what if we document what God's doing all the way through? Kevin's a big journaler (I am too), so we talk about his process, how he spends his time with God, and the journaling system that works for him. Remember, none of this is meant to be prescriptive. We're not asking you to adopt the same plan that every guest uses or that I use. These are descriptive, so you get an idea and take it to God to decide how you want to grow with Him. We also will continue this conversation (and I'll tell you some of my favorite journaling tips) over on our Substack. We'd love to hear from you in the comments there too.  You can find all of that at spirituallystronger.com! . . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! Our Place: Visit fromourplace.com/TSF and use code TSF for 10% off sitewide. This show is sponsored by BetterHelp: Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/thatsoundsfun. Tovala: Save up to $300 on the Tovala smart oven when you order meals 6+ times by heading to Tovala.com/THATSOUNDSFUN and use my code THATSOUNDSFUN. Brodo: Head to Brodo.com/THATSOUNDSFUN for 20% off your first subscription order and use code THATSOUNDSFUN for an additional $10 off. ELIC: To learn more, visit elic.org/thatsoundsfun. Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠. Boll and Branch: Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/THATSOUNDSFUN and use code THATSOUNDSFUN. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the show, I get to talk to my friend—and one of our spiritual mothers and mentors—Beth Moore. We talk about her experience with her surgeries and recoveries last year and learning how to 100% lean on the Lord, and what it looks like to grow with God and sit with Him everyday. Plus, we got to talk about her new study: Walking with God. She's created this study to help us understand what it looked like to walk with God in different eras of Scripture. It's fascinating. I think this conversation is SO helpful as we start talking about the small, daily habits we can lean into this year to increase our spiritual strength. . . . . . In case you missed it, we have a brand new Substack! If you're not familiar with what that is, it's like a blog… so if you've been around THAT long, you may remember the ole' AnnieBlogs days. Over on the substack, after every episode, you'll find a deeper dive from me and the team where we're talking more about that episode, offering some encouragement as you process, and giving you questions to go through. There's also some additional resources that will be suggested if you want to really dive into whatever it is we're discussing that episode. Our invitation to you is this: give us one hour a week listening to the podcast and 10 minutes a day answering the questions on the Substack. We think this practice will help you kick start a journey of getting spiritually stronger this year. The first post on our substack (from the Epiphany episode) is free to read so you can check it out, but after that, the subscription is $5/month. You can find it at spirituallystronger.com! . . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! Wayfair: Head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home.  CreaTone: Let's get you started with 20% off your first order. Visit tonetoday.com and use our code TSF for your discount. Thrive Causemetics: Go to thrivecausemetics.com/TSF for an exclusive offer of 20% off your first order. This show is sponsored by BetterHelp: Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/thatsoundsfun. ELIC: To learn more, visit elic.org/thatsoundsfun. Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠. Boll and Branch: Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/THATSOUNDSFUN and use code THATSOUNDSFUN. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last year we spent the entire year talking about the seasons—how they impact us both physically and spiritually—and how our life seasons change so often without warning. We see it all around us. Things are changing SO quickly. So much feels unpredictable, a little unsteady, often hard to understand. And I just keep coming back to this reality: in a world we can't control, we can be spiritually stronger. That's why our theme on That Sounds Fun for the next 18 months is exactly that—Spiritually Stronger. We're going to lean in together. Not with pressure or perfection, just with intention. We're going to talk about the spiritual disciplines: prayer, fasting, reading scripture, worship, and celebration. And after you listen to each episode, we're going to give you a way to go a little bit deeper every single day. We're launching the Spiritually Stronger Substack, where you'll be able to find a way to reflect on the topic for the week, things to pray through, and resources to help you apply what you've heard. What if you gave one hour a week and ten minutes a day to getting spiritually stronger this year? To building the kind of spiritual muscles that help you stand steady and stay hopeful in an ever-changing world. Make sure you're subscribed to That Sounds Fun so you don't miss an episode and go subscribe to our brand new Spiritually Stronger Substack. We're basically taking the fun of a guidebook to a place where we can all do it together! Head to spirituallystronger.com to subscribe to our brand new substack!. . . . . NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you are new around here, we have a yearly tradition today, January 6th. Epiphany. The tradition of you and I just chatting. The last day of Christmastide. Day 12 of the 12 days of Christmas. This Epiphany episode is the only time all year that I sit in this podcast studio alone. It matters to me that y'all know this. It matters because, in part, I want today to feel like a one on one conversation, like we're getting coffee. Except you know me, I'm drinking tea. In December, Emily P. Freeman joined us on the podcast and gave us a few leading questions for shaping our year. As I thought about this episode today, there are two questions, inspired by Emily, I want to answer for you: What are we stopping this year?  What are we starting this year?  These are not just for That Sounds Fun podcast, this are for all things AFD Inc- from my writing, to speaking, to podcasting. I want to give you a full view of what God might be up in 2026 to through the work my team and I get to do and make. . . . . . Join our NEW Substack Here! . . . . . This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp: Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/thatsoundsfun. . . . . . NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this final installment of 2025 we get to Keep Talking WITH ALL OF YOU-- ALL OF OUR BUDDIES! We got to do a live call-in show so a bunch of you got to pop in and ask your questions and loved every minute. It went exactly the way you thought it would. Things were unhinged for a bit… And before we started we even had a conversation about toilet seats. And Wicked. You're in for a treat. Come tell us your thoughts over on instagram: @thatsoundsfunpodcast If you're following along in your TSF Seasons Guidebook, you'll find your LAST note-taking page on page 133. Have a great week, the New Years, and we'll see you back here in 2026! We'll be back on Tuesday (not Monday) but Tuesday, January 6th for our annual Epiphany episode. . . . . . Want to watch this episode? Watch on your Spotify App, or 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! Wonder Project: Start your free trial and make sure to choose the annual subscription at ⁠watch.thewonderproject.com/thatsoundsfun⁠. When you pick the annual plan, you save money and directly support their mission to bring more of these stories to the world.  Antique Candle Co: Use code “thatsoundsfun” to get a free Gift Set on any order of $40 or more through Dec 15 at ⁠⁠antiquecandleco.com⁠⁠.  Mercy Ships: Please donate today at ⁠MercyShips.org/podcast⁠. Omaha Steaks: Visit ⁠OmahaSteaks.com⁠ for 50% off sitewide during their Sizzle All the Way Sale. And for an extra $35 off, use promo code FUN at checkout. Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun⁠. Helix Sleep: Go to helixsleep.com/thatsoundsfun for 27% off sitewide.  NIV Application Bible: If you're looking for a new Bible or know someone you'd like to gift a Bible to, I highly recommend the ⁠NIV Application Bible⁠! Capstone Wellness: Learn more at ⁠⁠capstonewellness.com/thatsoundsfun⁠⁠. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices