Happy New Year! I cannot believe we are entering another year! Welcome to the very first episode of The Happy Hour in 2023. It may be a little early in the year to declare this, but my conversation today is probably going to be one of my favorite episodes when I do a “2023 year in review” in December!

Vivian is no stranger to The Happy Hour – she was my guest on Episodes #59 and #251. Today we talk about her podcast, Someday Is Here (which is on our Ivey Media Podcasts network!), her hope for the Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI) community, her cancer journey, and why representation matters.

TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK! It is so very true, and today you get to meet my whole team!

Today’s guest is no stranger to The Happy Hour and he is going to end our series by sharing about the Wiseman – how they point us back to Jesus and how we can see the character of Jesus through them. 

We are continuing our Characters of Christmas series, and today we are talking about the Shepherds. I ask Pastor Bryan why it’s important that the Shepherds were the first to hear about Jesus, and how their character points us back to Jesus. 

Today we’re focusing on the angels, and there is no other person that I think fits this topic than my friend Ellie Holcomb.

Listen, you are in for a great episode! Ross and I talk about the relationship between Joseph and Jesus, and you guys, I’m really curious if Jesus gave Joseph a few secrets while they were working in the shop together.

Jami was on The Happy Hour back in 2016. We re-aired that episode in 2021 during our Flashback Friday podcast series, and now Jami is back with us to talk all about Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Hi Friends! I have loved this last year with our rhythm of episode series, bringing you conversations all centered around a specific topic or theme. Today, we’re starting our next series, called Characters of Christmas!

Rich and I talk about his latest book that he released this past summer, Good and Beautiful and Kind: Becoming Whole in a Fractured World. This is a book we all need, because we are definitely living in a fractured world and we see those fractures around us all the time.

I love any time I get to sit down with my friend Jonathan and talk about Compassion International, so today is automatically up there in my list of favorites. After my conversation with Jonathan, stick around for Angie Elkins’ conversation on this episode with Dr. Yannely Suero, another former Compassion child who is now a pediatrician! 

It’s time again for one of my favorite things we do all year – the Holiday Gift Guide! Our team has been in the Christmas spirit since August as we’ve worked to pull together this year’s Gift Guide, and we’re thrilled to share it with you today.

If you’re not quite in the Christmas spirit yet, I think this episode will get you there, especially as we keep our focus on the birth of Jesus. In today’s episode, I interview four people, plus I’m giving away a ton of things (!!) so you want to stick around until the end!

Jim and I talk about boundaries within a marriage, why boundaries in a marriage are necessary, defining what a boundary is, and what it looks like for a parent to walk through a pornography addiction with their child.

The focus of these conversations is boundaries with technology. I know this can be a touchy subject, but I encourage you to really lean in and examine your own relationship with technology as you listen.

Alison and I talk about how embracing healthy boundaries sometimes starts with setting initial boundaries for ourselves.

We are starting a new series today called Boundaries, and as hard as boundaries may be for some of us, I really think you’re going to enjoy these conversations.

Alli and Lisa meld their gifts together, how they work to overcome any feelings of jealousy, and what it looks like for them to collaborate with one another.

My next two guests are mastering collaboration over competition. Together, they have written several books, including Are My Kids On Track, and Intentional Parenting. They are also the hosts of the Raising Boys & Girls podcast. Sissy Goff is the Director of Child and Adolescent Counseling at Daystar Counseling Ministries for more than thirty years.

If you are an HGTV home renovation fan, you’re going to know exactly who my guests are today. Dave and Jenny Marrs are the stars of HGTV’s “Fixer to Fabulous.”