Hi friends, welcome to another episode of that sounds fun. I'm your host Annie F. Downs. I'm really happy to be here with you today. We've got a great show in store and happy Wednesday.

I hope you're loving this Monday Wednesday Friday schedule as much as we are here at that sounds fun. Before we dive into today's show, let me take a quick moment to tell you about one of our incredible partners, crew.

It probably goes without saying, but I like saying things to you all. So I'm going to say it anyway. The Bible has absolutely changed my life. You'll know, I've told you about how last year when I read through the Gospels every month, it was one of the richest experiences of my life.

Imagine for a second that you couldn't get a Bible that you couldn't hop on Amazon and get one sent right to your house or maybe even that you couldn't afford one. Take it one step further and imagine that you aren't even allowed to have one.

Honestly, sometimes we forget that there are people like lots of people all around the world who simply can't get a Bible. I can't imagine. That's why we're thrilled, thrilled, thrilled to partner with crew.

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So today our guest is my friend Jess Connolly and I do want to give a little disclaimer before we get into this conversation. I want you to know that we are discussing body shame and just some different content about eating and body image. And if those are topics that hit tender places for you.

I just want you to know in advance so you can make the kind of choice for yourself about when you listen to the show. Jess's new book just came out yesterday. It is called breaking free from body shame dare to reclaim what God has named good.

Y'all know Jess she has written you are the girl for the job the co author of loud and free. She found it go and tell gals that I tell y'all to join a lot and she helps start she reached truth. I absolutely love Jess and I cannot wait for y'all to hear today's show.

So here's my conversation with my friend Jess Connolly.

Jess book launch week. We're here. We're doing it. What are you feeling? This is like your fourth book.

Annie, do you know what's crazy? This is my ninth book. Oh my gosh. I'm so sorry. You count Bible studies. Oh Bible studies. Of course, of course. Okay. If you count Bible studies. Yes.

If you don't count Bible studies, it's my seventh. But oh my gosh. Okay. How does this one feel different? It's my favorite. This one feels different because I feel the fruit of it the most in my own life.

I believe it the most. I think for me body shame, how I feel about my body has been the greatest area of weakness. And so I think it's just been the best canvas for grace and healing and strength. And I just I believe in the power of this book more than I have for any of other ones.

Really, I don't mind saying that more than any other one so far. Is it hard that you have to talk about this all the time now? I don't like talking about this. It's not I have flashes of it. Like I'll have a I'll have a flash of it of like we're talking about this because I used to not love my body. But

truly like there are so there are so few places in my story in particular where I just feel so much like 100% freedom healing hope. And this is one of those areas for me. If anything, it can be a little bit, it can be a little overwhelming tip for people to be so vulnerable and share their stories back.

But also it just encourages me and inspires me to hear what they're struggling with. Why are they saying it back to you? How are people feeling brave enough to say it back? I'm getting a lot of DMs and I'll say I hear I hear a plethora of stories about my mom.

Like my mom said this, my grandmother said this, or my sister said this and this was hard for me and I've always believed this. I hear a lot about husbands, hey, I want to believe this, my husband doesn't believe this. That's difficult for me.

But I think the main reason though we're hearing it. I'm hearing it back that I'm getting the DMs and I'm getting the emails is because people just feel we feel so uncomfortable to talk about this. And I would say especially amongst Christian women, we feel like we should be better.

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