That Sounds Fun with Annie F. Downs
Christian author and speaker Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, restaurants, travel stories, musicians not to miss, interviews with friends. Pretty much, if it sounds fun to Annie, you're gonna hear about it.
Episodes
September 1, 2025 • 62 mins
Today on the show, we’re asking the question, “How can my kitchen reflect the seasons?” Kate Strickler, also known as Naptime Kitchen, is just a delight. Her book came out last week called: I Just Wish I Had a Bigger Kitchen. We’re going to talk about why we struggle with what we don’t have, how to learn to love what we do, finding friends as adults, AND you’re going to hear the best hack for cinnamon rolls.
If you’re following al...
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How else would we mark the 1000th episode than with the person we’ve talked to the most: our pal Eddie Kaufholz! And I just want to tell you now, so you can make the switch if you need to…this is an episode I think you’ll want to watch on your Spotify App or YouTube, and also watch the whole thing. Just trust me, this is a fun one.
Things we also talk about include BUT NOT LIMITED TO The Gilded Age, Marcus Mumford, Billy Joel, Pe...
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August 25, 2025 • 60 mins
If you’ve been feeling stuck lately or every conversation or thing around you just feels hard, we’re going to talk about it today. Ann Voskamp going to help us figure out how to find some gifts in the middle of suffering as we answer the question, “What are the gifts of summer I should take into the fall?”
Go grab a copy of her 40-Day devotional Loved to Life and join me on Sept 10th (or sooner!). And also if you have never read O...
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August 21, 2025 • 75 mins
My COO Ashley Warren is joining me and we’re going through all of the questions you’ve sent in over the past few months about our work here at AFD Inc or the That Sounds Fun Network… or general questions about running a business or leading a team. Ashley and I have done a few of these Q&A episodes over the years and love getting to do them, (plus, you’re getting to hear Ashley’s wisdom and brilliance that I get to work with everyda...
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August 18, 2025 • 67 mins
If you’ve been wondering how to maneuver the season you are in, if you’ve got questions about the next right thing to do in your marriage, or if you are single and wondering what you can be doing right now to be the person you want to be in marriage, I am really excited to introduce you to our guests as we talk through all of this and answer the question, “How does the summer prepare us for the next season?”
George and Tondra Gre...
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August 11, 2025 • 56 mins
If you’ve been wondering WHAT is going on with the next generation, if you’ve been hearing some of the same rumblings of God doing new things around the world, if you’re confused about teenagers (me too) and want some help understanding them… this is the episode for you.
Dan Blythe lives in the UK and is the Global Youth Director for Alpha, and as we get closer to fall and think about what God’s up to around the world, he’s helpin...
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August 4, 2025 • 66 mins
Today we’re answering the question, “How does nature teach us about the seasons?" I get to talk with my new friend, Rachel G. Jordan. She is a marine biologist and spiritual guide and using the ocean as a lens, she points us to the way God is revealed in biology AND IT IS SO COOL. We’re talking about the coral reef, all that we don’t know about the ocean, the intelligence of sea creatures, and you’re not even ready for the insight ...
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August 1, 2025 • 5 mins
Welcome Back miniBFFs! Guess what? For the first time ever on Annie’s miniBFF Podcast, we have a guest reader. Actually we have a whole band guest reading for us! The band, CAIN will be joining us to share about their kids book, I’m So Blessed, and a story from… THE BIBLE!
Don’t worry. I will be there too. But I am so excited to share my friends, Taylor, Logan and Madison with you guys. Along with meeting them you will also get t...
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July 31, 2025 • 53 mins
Today our pal Eddie Kaufholz and I keep talking about our summer, Eddie’s new tattoo, and what it’s like to go on a cruise. We also need to know the perfect time of a day for soft serve ice cream. I would love to know your answer.
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Show notes
Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!
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July 29, 2025 • 60 mins
We knew we had to have a conversation about rest this summer. Y’all know how much Sabbath and rest is priority for me and I know y’all love talking about it too, so of course, we called John Mark Comer. His work on this topic has had a massive impact on a ton of us. If you’ve never read Garden City or The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, I highly recommend adding those to your summer reading list.
And if you’re following along in y...
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July 21, 2025 • 61 mins
My friends Gabe and Rebekah Lyons are here to help us answer the question, “How do I identify seasons of my marriage?” This spring they released their first book they’ve written together called The Fight For Us. We’re going to talk about how to define summer in your marriage (their answer was surprising), how to prepare for marriage, how to approach conflict, emotional and physical intimacy, and what it means to have a wholehearted...
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July 14, 2025 • 63 mins
What is it about country music and summer?! Today I talk to my friend and multi-platinum country music superstar Russell Dickerson. Yall know his hits- Happen to Me, Yours, Blue Tacoma, Love You Like I Used To...ETC! We talk about his songwriting, his prayer life, and his family. I can’t wait for you to fall in love with this guy if you don’t already know him, or fall more in love if you do.
Be sure you’ve pre-saved Russell’s new...
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANNIE! - love, Team AFD
Our favorite green girl is back! Mary Kate Morrissey is now officially a Hall of Fun member, which means she’s been on the show five times, and today we’re getting to hear all about her experience starring as Elphaba in Wicked on Broadway last year, what it’s been like to transition out of that season, her new hobby, and what it looks like to celebrate well.
If you’re following along in yo...
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Pastor JP Pokluda is back and today he officially joins the Hall of Fun! This is his 5th time on the show and we are so grateful he’s always willing to show up here and drop some wisdom.
The question we’re diving into today is, “Is this Spiritual warfare or am I just tired?” JP’s latest book, Your Story Has a Villain, is an incredible book helping us navigate the reality of spiritual warfare, and learn how to fight back.
If you’...
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June 23, 2025 • 64 mins
OUR FIRST OFFICIAL DAY OF SUMMER HERE ON THE POD. Today we're answering the question, “What is summer and how do I define it in my life?” and Pastor Mike Kelsey is back to help us kick off this new season. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since we recorded.
We talk about the fun of this season, but we’re also talking about the ways summer can be really hard, the expectations we put on it, and insecurities it can bring up.
If y...
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June 20, 2025 • 2 mins
Isn’t it so interesting to pay attention to the changing of one season to another? This year talking about the seasons is teaching us about rhythms, transitions, seasonal expectations—and it’s giving us eyes to see what God’s doing through it all.
And now… it’s time for SUMMER! Starting Monday, June 23rd, we officially kick off the summer on the podcast with our pastor of the pod this year, Pastor Mike Kelsey. I have not stopped ...
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Our friend Eddie Kaufholz is back today! We tie up some loose ends from previous episodes, talk about going to a Yankees game, Coke Icees, Eddie's sleep study, and more of course... We have some note taking pages for you for this episode over in our TSF Seasons Guidebook on page 59. We’re officially kicking off summer on the podcast on Monday, so if you don’t have a guidebook, you can still purchase one at anniefdowns.com/seasons.
...
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June 16, 2025 • 62 mins
Today on the show, we’re answering the question, “How do I change seasons well?" If you’ve been around here for a while you know Craig Thompson (or CRAIGLES or the prince as we called him around the office). He used to be part of our media team here at AFD, Inc. but last fall he and his wife, Hannah, moved to Indiana. SOO many of you talk to me about deciding whether or not to move or figuring out what to do if a season is changing...
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June 9, 2025 • 60 mins
Today on the show, we’re answering the question, “What should I take with me from spring into summer?” and y’all are in for a TREAT. You’ve been asking for these guests for a long time and today my new friends Ben and Erin Napier from the show HGTV’s Home Town and Home Town Takeover are here. You’re going to love getting to know them and hearing how their work and their shows have not only revitalized families, but entire towns. Yo...
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Today we’re answering the question, “How do I bring my doubts into a new season?”
Margaret Feinberg is back for her second time and y’all don't want to miss it. She has a brand new book about the Holy Spirit out called, The God You Need to Know and y’all ask OFTEN about how we hear from the Holy Spirit, so we’re going there! We’re also talk about what we picture when we picture the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit throughout Bible, an...
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