My guest for The Happy Hour #162 is singer-songwriter Ellie Holcomb. Ellie is a Nashville native, and began her musical career by touring the country with her husband in Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors. After 8 years, and with the birth of their daughter, Emmylou, she opted to step out of the role of heavy touring. From that space came her debut solo album, As Sure As The Sun, which charted at #1 on the iTunes Christian chart and helped deem her the “Best New Artist” at the 2014 Dove Awards. Since her first album, Ellie has been walking an unexpected path, one of suffering and loss but also peace and joy. And it is from that place—of finding God in the dark and unexpected—that she wrote and recorded Red Sea Road released earlier this year.

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Lisa Whittle is my guest for The Happy Hour #161. Lisa is a leader, author and speaker with a heart and passion to communicate one thing: Jesus is everything. Her love runs deep to see people pursue Jesus for life, grow deep roots of faith, and walk strong in the midst of a world that so often seems to have gone crazy. She is the author of seven books, including her latest Put Your Warrior Boots On and Five-Word Prayers, and a sought out Bible teacher for her wit and bold, bottom line approach. She is a wife and mother of three who currently resides in North Carolina.

Lisa and I kick off our conversation talking about The Office's best episodes. Duh. From there, the conversation naturally transitions into parenting older children, keeping our marriages a priority while dedicating time spent as a family. We chat all about her newest book, Put Your Warrior Boots On, and how the Lord birthed in her a desire to see women that were stronger in what God says than what culture and news say. And finally, I think you'll love hearing her story about trying to orchestrate a date with her son and Harry Connick Jr.'s daughter. You know - normal mom stuff.

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Osheta Moore joins me today for The Happy Hour #160. Osheta is an pastor’s wife, a mom of three kiddos, and the author of Shalom Sistas: Living Wholeheartedly in a Brokenhearted World. She believes everything is better after a nap, brunch with her girlfriends is a necessity, and nothing beats a good Netflix binge. She’s passionate about encouraging women to be peacemakers in their everyday lives.

In our conversation today, Osheta and I talk about when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and how it shifted their entire lives.

We get into a funny slash serious conversation about strangers asking us questions about our families since we both have families that look a little different than the average American family. We both agree that we used to get angry over silly questions and comments, but now we feel differently - now we both feel like it’s an opportunity to educate and help them know how to talk about a child's birth parents, or interracial family. I even shared with Osheta the comment that used to drive me crazy.

Osheta and I also have a serious conversation about raising our black and biracial kids in a predominately white area. We joke about it, and not in a disrespectful way, but in a way that we both get because we both live it. Osheta opens up about her own journey with being a black woman, and I was thankful for her honesty and willingness to be vulnerable. And of course, like any good happy hour, we cover body image and sex.

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Amanda Jones joins me for The Happy Hour #159. Amanda is a Jesus-loving gal from Texas, married to a preacher boy from Missouri. She's the daughter of Beth Moore, and mom to four kids. Amanda first joined me for episode #66. If you missed that, you can catch up here.

She's back today to catch up and talk about Hurricane Harvey and the devastation it caused in Houston. Amanda and her husband help to lead Bayou City Fellowship, a church that has been hugely instrumental in the disaster relief in the areas affected. She shares the most pressing needs they have and how you can be a part.

Amanda also shares briefly about her struggle with depression - shedding light on a topic that can be so taboo, especially in the church.

My hope for today's show is that you feel encouraged to do what you can, wherever you are, to serve the people devastated by Hurricane Harvey. Whether that means getting on a plane to serve on a demolition crew or by sending money and supplies, please consider how you can help today.

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Raechel Myers is my guest for The Happy Hour #158. Raechel is the co-founder and CEO of She Reads Truth, and leads the She Reads Truth community and staff out of her deep love of God’s Word and the firm conviction that all of Scripture is good news. She is the co-author of Open Your Bible: God’s Word Is for You and for Now and She Reads Truth: Holding Tight to Permanent in a Word That’s Passing Away. Raechel lives south of Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and their two children.

In our conversation today, Raechel and I chat about how she's leading a Bible study for the first time with the ladies in her neighborhood. We also talk all about She Reads Truth - about how quickly it's grown and how one of their employees is now Raechel's husband, making her his boss (which would never work in the Ivey household, but Raechel makes it sound like a dream). And finally, we talk about God's faithfulness through good times and hard times and how to be a friend to someone walking through the trenches.

In the show, Raechel and I talk briefly about the She Reads Truth Bible. Y'all, I can't recommend this Bible enough. It's so beautifully put together. Because of it's crazy popularity, the Bible sold out very quickly, but the reprint has recently been released and you can grab your copy here. I promise, you will LOVE it.

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My guest for The Happy Hour #157 is Catherine Lowe. You may recognize her from a little show called The Bachelor. Catherine met and fell in love with her now husband, Sean Lowe, on season 17. Millions (self included) tuned in to watch them tie the knot on national television in 2014. They now live in Dallas with their adorable son, Samuel.

On today's show, Catherine and I visit in person and cover so very much. We cover all things related to The Bachelor - how she was casted, her journey of falling in love and getting engaged while the world watched. She gives some behind-the-scenes scoop - like how you might find some of the women doing Bible studies, instead of running around in their tiny bikinis. But, somehow, that kind of drama doesn't make the final cut. Catherine shares about how difficult it was transitioning from finally being publicly engaged to watching her fiancé dance on Dancing with the Stars. You'll love hearing her story of following Jesus, after Sean made an 11th hour visit to her hotel room the night before he proposed.

As a bonus, we also talk TV and movies, and what it's like to have an angel for a mother-in-law. You are not going to want to miss this show.

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My guest for The Happy Hour #156 is Andrea Lucado. Andrea is a freelance writer based in Austin, Texas. As the daughter of bestselling author and pastor Max Lucado, Andrea inherited an obsession with words and their arrangement. She has a master’s degree in English literature from Oxford-Brookes University and contributes regularly to online and print publications such as Relevant magazine and SheReadsTruth.com. She recently released a book, English Lessons.

In our conversation, we chat about Andrea growing up as a preacher's kid. She shares about her journey in owning her faith - not because it was what was expected or what was culturally acceptable, but because she had a personal, authentic relationship with Jesus.

Andrea also shares about her routine to abstain from social media on the weekends - taking apps off her devices on Friday and re-d0wnloading on Monday. You'll hear about how social media can trigger some major sin struggles in both of us. And if you can relate, maybe you'll consider joining us in creating some boundaries around time spent on social media.

For the full summary and links to the show, click the link below!

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Today, Sara Hagerty joins me for The Happy Hour #155. Sara is wife to her best friend Nate, and a mother of six, including four children adopted from Africa and two through natural childbirth. Her first published book, Every Bitter Thing Is Sweet, found her a worldwide audience, drawn to the authentic voice heard in her emotive and Scripturally-based writing style, as she searches to find God in the midst of questions and brokenness. Her second book, Unseen: The Gift of Being Hidden in a World that Loves to be Noticed, comes out next week.

In today's show, Sara and I chat about how God built their family after a long journey of infertility. She shares how that and other pieces of her story left her feeling alone and how that became the impetus for her new book, Unseen. Sara talks about her fight to believe that God sees her, understands her, knows her, hasn't forgotten her - and how that truth is better than being seen by anyone else.

Sara's newest book is available to pre-order today. Make sure you grab a copy here. You will not regret it.

For the full summary and links to the show, click the link below!

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My friend, LaToria Wilson, joins me today for episode #154 for of The Happy Hour. Let me tell you - her amazing hair and big personality aren't all she has to offer. LaToria has an energy that's all her own and brings an eclectic feel to the hip hop music she makes. Through her music, LaToria aims to offer hope, light, and truth while providing an unforgettable experience. She was nominated for Christian Female Hip Hop minister of the year in 2016. Her latest single Pushin Light is now available, and she's set to release her next project, volume 2 of her The Long Walk series, later this year.

In our chat today, we talk about how she started pursuing the music industry. We chat about strong female influences and what it was like for her to grow up without her father present. I teetered on the line of talking politics on The Happy Hour as we discussed what this year has been like for her - living in America as a woman of color. And she gives me some great advice, that I think any parent could benefit from, for raising a strong daughter.

This interview was recorded several months ago, and the timing couldn't be better in light of this weekend's events in Virginia. I hope you're able to listen and soak in LaToria's story, her experiences and her perspectives.

For the full summary and links to the show, click the link below!

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Shauna Shanks joins me for a special live edition of The Happy Hour - recorded in my backyard in the sweltering July heat for our Summer Book Club. Shauna is the author of our second book, A Fierce Love. She's also a wife, mother, and entrepreneur. Shauna and her husband, Micah, have been married for more than a decade, and they're currently building a house out of shipping containers with their three boys on an Ohio farm.

A Fierce Love is Shauna's story of fighting for her marriage through her husband's infidelity. In our conversation, we chat about how her journal entries became the framework for her book and the processes through which she went to get her story published. Shauna also graciously answers some of the questions our book club members and I had about her story. She shares about how she and her husband are fighting for their marriage today and the sacrifices they're making to connect with each other.

And finally, we chat all about their latest venture and what Shauna describes as marriage bootcamp - building a house out of shipping containers. She describes their house, but I thought a picture was the best way to go. Check out their awesome new digs.

For the full summary and links to the show, click the link below!

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