Tell us a little bit about yourself and what God has called you to do? My name is Jamie Ivey and God keeps asking me to do some big things that are super fun and super hard at the same time! Almost three years ago I launched my podcast, The Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey, and just recently I turned in a whole lot of words that other people will help me make into a book that releases in January of 2018!

Where do you live and have you lived anywhere else? I live in Austin, Texas with my man and our four kids. We've been here eight years and before that we spent five years in Murfreesboro, TN, which is just outside of Nashville. We lived in Sugar Land, Texas (outside of Houston) previous to that where we met and were married!

How do you carve out time with God everyday? I usually do this right after the kids go to school, or if my day immediately starts when they leave, then I will carve out time in the middle of my day when I take a breather for lunch.

What is your best organizational/planning tip? Hire an assistant! Just kidding. Kinda.

What is your family’s favorite go-to easy meal? Well, since I don't do hardly any cooking around this house (I know, luckiest woman alive, right??!?!?) I actually only have about 2 things that I ever cook. One being spaghetti and I only make that when my husband is not home because he hates spaghetti. Two is a meal that my friend Amanda told me about that is the easiest thing in the world, plus my kids LOVE it! You take some small potatoes and cut them in chunks, add some green beans, some sausage, and some butter. Cover with foil and cook away! I actually talked about it on the show once, so I put the recipe on my blog: http://jamieivey.com/sausage-links-potatoes-string-beans.

Tell us your favorite God story (in your own life)? I have come a long way with my struggle with fear. It's still there for sure, but it's not as gripping as it used to be. My fear would overcome me in movie theaters, or large groups with my kids. In previous times in my life I have been convinced that my husband was going to die on every trip he took. I have to actually fight it all the time. I have seen God help me fight it, and not just remove it from me. I wish I never struggled with this, but my fight keeps me close to Him.

What are your 3 favorite books, other than the Bible of course? I love lots of books, and you'll hardly ever hear me say a book is bad because I value the work that anyone puts into writing. Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson & Girls Like Us by Rachel Lloyd changed my worldview forever. I have talked about these books since the day I finished the last page, and I think they are a must read for everyone in 2017. I also read a book a few years ago that I thought as I was reading that every Christ follower should read and it was called 10 Who Changed the World by Daniel Akin. I believe that stories change the world, and reading the stories of those that have gone before us with such excitement for the gospel was impactful on my life.

What is your favorite Bible Verse? Psalm 27:1 "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"

We are dying to know . . . if you could have anyone on your show, who would it be? Well the people I mention all the time that I want to join me are Kathie Lee Gifford and George W. Bush. I know it seems odd, but I think Kathie Lee is hilarious, and I know she loves Jesus and George W Bush has always intrigued me and I think he would be hilarious as well. They would also make my "imaginary dinner party list" as well!

Tell us a little bit about yourself and what God has called you to do? Hi Anchored Press friends! My name is Ashley, and I’m grateful to be sharing with you this week. I'm passionate about helping people – particularly women – live out God's purposes in their lives. Ladies, God did not call us to live safe, easy lives! He’s called us to the adventure of following him as he works through us to make an impact for his Kingdom!

Early on, God placed a burden on my heart to serve people living with HIV/AIDS, and I have the opportunity to live that out as Manager of the HIV&AIDS Initiative of Saddleback Church. My heart breaks that there are 37 million people around the world living with a preventable, incurable disease – and only half have access to treatment. So often people living with HIV face stigma and rejection from friends, family and even the church, yet we see in the Bible that when Jesus walked on Earth he spent a third of his time reaching out to the sick. We rarely hear that half of all people living with HIV are women, and in fact, its girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa who are facing the heaviest burden – every week 7,500 young women between the ages of 15-24 are newly infected. Not only that, AIDS orphans millions of children – children who will become more vulnerable to so many things, including HIV, without the care of a mom and dad. Church can be a game-changer in ending AIDS, but I believe we need to stop turning a blind eye to what God wants to do through us.

Where do you live and have you lived anywhere else? I currently live in Orange County, CA. I spent my earliest years in Miami, FL, and I lived for seven years in LA attending UCLA for undergrad, getting my Masters in Public Policy at USC and working at TOMS in their Giving Department.

How do you carve out time with God everyday? I try to start my day by talking to God before I grab my phone or roll out of bed and the day gets away from me. Then I try to have a constant conversation with God throughout the rest of the day. That can look like a quick prayer asking for his wisdom before a meeting or an in-the-moment prayer for a friend who comes to mind.

What is your favorite go-to dinner? I eat gluten free, so I’m always on the lookout for good GF recipes. I like the healthy Sloppy Joe recipe from the Daniel Plan cookbook.

Tell us your best God story (in your own life)? Oh man, so many, where do I start! A favorite recent God story started on a Rwanda trip. A couple from our church facing infertility received the email about the Orphan Care trip and decided to postpone their planned IVF and use the funds for the trip instead. That particular trip started out rough with a series of frustrations that culminated in being stuck overnight in Brussels and an irate taxi driver threatening to call the cops on us. At that point they were questioning why God had them on the trip. They stuck it out and once in Rwanda, God got their attention for the needs of parentless children. When they returned home they finally made the decision to adopt, and now they have an adorable adopted son who will forever know what it’s like to have an adoring mom and dad. All thanks to a God-timed email and what started out as a very rough trip.

What are your 3 favorite books (other than the Bible of course)? I’m a big fan of Pride and Prejudice, Steal Like an Artist, and In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day.

What is your favorite Bible Verse? Proverbs 3:5-6 was the first verse I memorized, and it's been a key verse my whole life. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” As someone who's natural inclination is to "lean on my own understanding," I'm reminded that God's plans often don't make sense through the world's eyes of common sense. He calls us to depend on him, and as we follow him and stay in communication with him, he'll guide us to the right path. I typically want the whole roadmap laid out in advance, but faith doesn’t work that way! Many of the most important decisions I've made have not made much logical sense through my own understanding, but God's plans are always so much better - and different - than I could ever dream up. When He calls me to places that are scary and unfamiliar and unknown, I remember that he goes with me and ahead of me.

We are dying to know . . . what is your favorite thing to do on a Friday night? I love watching a movie with friends or finding a new hole-in-the-wall spot to eat. My Yelp app gets a workout since I’m always looking for new gluten free desserts to try!