That Sounds Fun with Annie F. Downs

As we head into this season of Advent, my friend Tsh Oxenreider, walks us through an introduction to this special time in the liturgical calendar. We talked all about boundaries around social media, the different traditions surrounding Advent, and we took a deep dive into the difference between Lent and Advent. I'm so thankful for Tsh and the wisdom she shares! You can find the special video versi...

I LOVE when I get to have a conversation with one of my all-time favorite pastors, Louie Giglio! Talking to Louie about all things Jesus is just the BEST! His newest book, Winning the War on Worry, is such a breath of fresh air as we walk towards our Thanksgiving celebrations next week. Also, be sure to grab a copy of his newest devotional, At the Table with Jesus. Y'all are going to love these tw...

What a joy to have my friend, Lysa TerKeurst in the studio today! This conversation about healthy relationships, loving those who struggle with addiction, and, of course, our mutual love for Jim Cress... GAH, isn't she the best?! Be sure to grab a copy of Lysa's new book, Good Boundaries and Goodbyes: Loving Others Without Losing the Best of Who You Are. It's been a hot commodity here at the offic...

Happy Veteran’s Day (on Friday!) and thank you so much to all the men and women who have served our country and allowed us the freedoms we have today. To celebrate, I got to sit down with Evan and Dr. Jenny Owens, founders of REBOOT Recovery and authors of Healing What's Hidden. Their work with veterans and first responders is truly remarkable and I'm so grateful for their wisdom, education, and h...

What is more fun than politics and faith?! With the midterm elections going on, I'm honored to have Pastor Andy Stanley on the pod today. So much wisdom - he's just the BEST! I'm so thankful for Pastor Andy and this conversation about choosing friendship and relationship over politics. Friends matter more. Amen. Grab a copy of his incredible book Not In It to Win It and go out and VOTE! . . . . Fi...

It's a podcast party! The ENTIRE band from We The Kingdom is in the studio today and I could not be.more.excited. Y'ALL this conversation...actually changed my life and the way that I do friendship. Ed, Scott, Franni, Martin, and Andrew were so kind and generous in their vulnerability to talk about healing from church hurt, being authentic with ourselves and our people, and letting public faith pe...

My dear, dear, friend and one of our FAVORITE guests, Ginna Claire Mason Moffett, is BACK! Ginna Claire is STARRING in a Hallmark Christmas movie, premiering November 27, and I could not be more excited. We talk all about GC filming a movie in New York while performing in Wicked on Broadway AT THE SAME TIME. Excuse me...ma'am! We also talk about what it's like to be a Rockette, balancing disappoin...

My good friend and incredible songwriter and record producer, Jeff Pardo is on the podcast today in a very special episode of That Sounds Fun! Jeff is ridiculously talented and was nominated for the most Dove Awards of the year. He graciously popped into the studio both BEFORE and AFTER the Dove Awards show to talk about how he felt and what he was processing before the night of the award show and...

I’m so grateful to our friend Mike Kelsey for hosting, creating, and curating this week’s podcast episodes! Today, Mike chats with his friend and fellow pastor Mitchel Lee about his experience being an Asian American pastor of a predominately white megachurch, his journey of racial identity, and dynamics between the Black and Asian community. And yes, Pastor Mitchel's book, Even If: Trusting God W...

I’m so grateful to our friend Mike Kelsey for hosting, creating, and curating this week’s podcast episodes! Today, Mike chats with author, speaker, and cofounder of the Best Christian Workplaces Institute, Helen Lee. Mike and Helen's conversation about her experience growing up Asian in a predominately white community and how Asian-Americans often feel in conversations about race is SO GOOD. Be su...

I ADORE my friend, Anne Wilson, and I'm so happy she's back on the podcast! We truly covered a WIDE range of topics in this conversation. Will we be going on a mini tour next fall to cross Vermont off our travel list?? Only time will tell...In the meantime, I'm so excited to get to chat with Anne about her new book, My Jesus: From Heartache to Hope. Our conversation about what loss GIVES you has r...

What a true honor to have Dr. Diane Langberg on the show today. Her book, Redeeming Power: Understanding Authority and Abuse in the Church, has taught me so much about trauma, abuse, and power. In this conversation, Dr. Langberg teaches us about paying attention to our own power, misusing that power, and balancing love for our local church with accountability. If abuse is a part of your story, I w...

I'm so happy that my dear friend, Shannan Martin, is in the studio today to chat about her new book, Start with Hello. This book is a practical guide on how to move toward each other in community and it is SO GOOD! What an important conversation that we ALL need! We talk all about loving your people well, the importance of making space for grief, and how the tiniest step toward one another matters...

We have such a special show for you today! I got to talk with one of my heroes, Richard Foster, and his friend and fellow pastor Brenda Quinn. Richard's new book Learning Humility uses the Lakota calendar as a framework for this study on the virtue of humility. IT'S FASCINATING! What an inspiring  conversation about slowing down enough to be available to God, coming to God as who you already are,...

SO many of you have requested Brandon Lake to be a guest on the podcast. Well, my friends, you're dreams have come TRUE! I am excited to get to talk to my friend Brandon about his new album Help! and his upcoming tour Miracle Nights. This conversation might be one of my favorites. We talk all about hearing the voice of God, expectancy, and the gift of being in the middle of a season. What an amazi...

What a joy to get to chat with my friends Seth and Heather Thompson Day! Their new book, I'll See You Tomorrow, is so timely - y'all are going to love this one. Also. This resilience theme we've been having??? Okay, Lord. We. See. You. . . . . Find more fun things on this episode by going to anniefdowns.com/podcast. . . . . Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to futur...

What a gift it is to have Taya in the podcast studio. You know her voice from many of your favorite Hillsong UNITED Worship songs. And now she has a debut album, TAYA, that is absolutely stunning. Our conversation about prayer, Jesus, and our love for Italy, was so life giving. What a great way to kick off the weekend with this fun bonus Friday episode! . . . . Find more fun things on this episode...

My new friend, Cynt Marshall (henceforth dubbed QUEEN of That Sounds Fun Land), is on the pod today and I can't wait for y'all to hear this conversation! Cynt is the CEO of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks (I mean...how fun is THAT?!). Her new book You've Been Chosen is seriously incredible. We talked all about how her cancer journal ended up being a book about hope and joy, and the importance of mornin...

My girl, Nona Jones, is in the STUDIO! Hugging her neck before sitting down to have a conversation meant SO much! We talked all about getting to the root of insecurity, putting on a front that we have it all together (yikes), and setting boundaries around social media. If y'all loved this conversation, you'll love Nona's new book Killing Comparison.  . . . . Find more fun things on this episode by...

You know I love it anytime we get to talk about prayer on the podcast! Pastor Chad Veach is teaching us all about persistent prayer, the importance of Godly counsel, fasting, and so much more. His new book, Worried about Everything Because I Pray about Nothing, is incredibly meaningful and full of wisdom. Get your journal and pens ready, because this is for sure a note-taking episode! Check out ou...

When I think about people who are salt of the earth, I think of Sissy Goff and David Thomas. We love them SO much around here that, of course, we were thrilled when they wanted to join the TSF Network! Sissy, David, and Melissa Trevathan are the hosts the incredible Raising Boys and Girls Podcast. Whether you're a parent, grandparent, parenting figure, or just like to love on your miniBFF's like m...

I can't wait for y'all to hear this conversation with my new friend, Katy Nichole. Of course we had to talk about being next door neighbors at the KLove awards this past year. We also chatted about the importance of mentorship, what it looks like to finish well, and how her song, In Jesus Name, became a viral sensation. Katy is so fun and y'all are going to love her new EP, Katy Nichole. . . . . F...

It's an Acuff family affair in the studio today! What a great conversation with Jon Acuff and his daughters, L.E. and McRae talking about their new book, Your New Playlist. Diving into the minds of teenagers...phew...y'all aren't ready! L.E and McRae are so wise and I just love them! . . . . Find more fun things on this episode by going to anniefdowns.com/podcast. . . . . Sign up to receive the AF...

YOU GUYS. An actual Disney Princess. Do I have the entire soundtrack of The Little Mermaid currently playing in my head?? YOU KNOW I DO! This conversation with Ariel *ahem* Jodi Benson is so fun! She is an absolute legend (literally) and her new book Part of My World is so good. Jodi shares about her faith journey, making decisions that impact your life and legacy, and how to get through the hard...

Y'all put your seatbelts on. The one. The only. Dave Barnes is here. We talk about recordings ads for Dadville, Disneyworld, Santa, soccer, books, The Beatles, and of course, his new album Remembering: Greatest Hits Acoustic. Will I actually be opening my porch doors and blasting this album all weekend? YOU BET. . . . . It's not too late to be a Chase the Funner! Sign up HERE as we read through Ch...