Happy Hour #36 is with my new friend Meredith Toering. Meredith and I met at the If Gathering this past February and didn't get hardly any time to chat, and after our chat today I was wishing I had more time with her. You are going to love her!
The night we met at Guero's in Austin at the If: Gathering
Meredith is the International Director of Morning Star, an NPO that works with orphans and at-risk children (family preservation programs) who have very complex heart defects in China, Uganda, and India.
On today's show Meredith and I chat about how she ended up in China, and the amazing story of her parents adopting Brooke, the little girl she took care of during a summer internship. I also begged Meredith to give me all her parents secrets on raising kids that love to travel, love people, and want to serve people well. We also chatted about how she won a spot on the #styleforjustice trip with Noonday Collection and IJM.
{You can listen to the show HERE, and make sure you never miss a Happy Hour by subscribing through your favorite podcast app (ie. iTunes, Stitcher). And of course, I would love if you would share with your friends!}
Links from the show:
- Morning Star
- Meredith's blog posts about her family adopting Brooke
- Morning Star FB page
- The bag that her and Jen Hatmaker created together on their Rwanda trip is not for sale anymore, but they have lots more bags that are amazing if you are looking for one. Check out NOONDAY COLLECTION for more bags.
- All the blogs from the #styleforjustice trip HERE
- IJM prayer gathering that I'm going to this weekend
- I won a DJ job here in Austin. Read about it HERE.
- The Locust Effect by Gary A Haugen that I need to read!
- Meredith's reading: The Hobbit and just finished The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
- What I'm reading: Everyday Grace by Jessica Thompson
- Email Meredith if you are interested in adoption, or anything in her world:Â meretoering@gmail.com
Connect with Meredith:
Facebook // IG // Blog // Twitter
Up for grabs:
As soon as we finished recording I contacted my friends at Noonday to see about the clutch that Meredith and Jen created, and unfortunately they no longer sell it, BUT they have two for me to give away! So, all you need to do is leave a comment and you'll be in the running. I'll keep the contest open for a week and then we'll pick two winners (in the continental US only please) and you will get a new clutch for the Summer! You can't beat that. (Contest ends midnight on the 22nd)
Share the Love:
I would love to connect with you guys on facebook, twitter and/or instagram about this episode! Feel free to share with your friends about the show! As always I love feedback from you guys on iTunes if you can. When you leave a comment and/or rating, it helps others find the show, and isn't that what we want …. more ladies at the Happy Hour with us!
*As always if you are reading this via your email subscription, you can head on over to jamieivey.com to listen, or better yet, subscribe in iTunes and the podcast comes directly to you!
Thanks so much for creating such a fun podcast! I love coming back for all the amazing stories of the women you get to chat with. And…I love Noonday and would love to win a clutch!
What an inspiring story! Hearing how others live out their faith is encouraging and helps me step out in faith.
Those clutches are so cute! Can’t wait to listen to this podcast, as always!
So I found your Podcast on Monday and have almost finished listening to them ALL! And it’s only Thursday. They make my work day fly by and fill my spirit with so much joy. So thank you!! I was pumped to see the notification for this new Podcast and just finished listening. Two things: 1) I love love loved Meredith’s story. Major goosebumps. I am so inspired by her. 2) I live in DC and hearing that you’re coming here this weekend makes me hope I’ll run into you 🙂 That’s not weird, right? Have a great day and safe travels!
Oh I love me some Noonday! Can’t wait to listen to the podcast.
Love noonday!!! Thanks for introducing us to another wonderful organization!
What an amazing woman! These bags are so beautiful as well!!
Hey Jamie-
Loved this episode! Meredith seems like a great girl with a huge heart for the Lord. I’m excited for your upcoming guests. Thanks!
Kaylee
I wish that I would have done more meaningful jobs during high school and college! Meredith is amazing and I could have listened to her stories for hours! My heart keeps getting bigger for adoption with every podcast & guest you have on the Happy Hour 🙂 You Rock Jamie! Happy Thursday!
I LOVE Noonday, and I LOVE these clutches (and let’s be honest, all clutches!)!!
I can’t wait to listen to Happy Hour while I clean my kitchen today! I love how you take us around the world while washing dishes :).
You are my favorite, Jamie!
I loved this podcast!! Meredith is so amazing and inspiring. I love the clutch and all Noonday stuff. Thanks for all you do!
Thanks Sarah!!! Isn’t it fun getting to chat with new awesome women each week! I love my job!
Thanks Jenny = huge compliment!
Wow, I’m so encouraged and inspired by Meredith’s story. Thank you for introducing me to so many cool women to cheer for and spur me on to keep living big for God.
Love your podcast and can’t wait to listen to this one. The clutch purses are definitely a must for my collection of Noonday 🙂
This is beautiful!
Looking forward to this podcast. I love being exposed to what God is doing around the world through women leaders!
Again, another great and inspiring podcast to listen to while setting up stuff for work! Love the clutches Meredith and Jen designed! I’m actually reading “Left to Tell” right now and learning so much about the history of Rwanda! Thankful that the podcast gives me great books to add to my list!
Hi Jamie! I’ve been following your blog for a while and looove the happy hour chats! I haven’t listened to this one yet but I did tap over to meredith’s blog to read the story about Brooke which had me in tears at work! Such an amazing example of allowing God to work. Also wanted to mention thst thanks to your chat with Asher from SoleHope the other week, I, along with several friends, had a small party and cut out 10 pairs of shoes that are on their way to Uganda now. Thanks for spreading the good news of all these amazing women are doing! Oh, and I saw the comment above about u coming to DC (maybe this is in the podcast) but wondering if you’re speaking somewhere? Ok…I’m ending my very long comment now 🙂
Would love to win!
Loved listening to your convo with Meredith! As always, your podcast keeps me company while on the road and makes the time and miles pass quickly.
LOVE THIS! I’ve followed Meredith for awhile and am getting ready to move to NDFH and of course love that clutch!
Just found your site! Can’t wait to check out the podcast. Blessings!
Loved your podcast today! Great job!
I love your podcast and I can’t wait to listen to this episode! I also love Noonday and would love to win one of these adorable clutches!
Jamie,
Thanks for taking time to make the Happy Hour podcast. Its the most inspiring hour of my week and often full of laughs as well. I loved your interview with Meredith. Such amazing stories and she has done incredible things for just being in her 20s! I love the bags and would be thrilled to win one. Thanks again and keep the podcasts coming!!
I really enjoyed hearing about Meredith’s story. It kept me company as I was seeing today. – – Challenges me to encourage my teens to get jobs and internships that matter.
And I would love to win that bag! Super cute!
Love the show with Meredith! Love Noonday and IJM and adoption- all of it! Just started listening to Happy Hour last weekend and I am loving them all! Thanks!
Share the Love you say?! My heart is so inspired after listening to you and the beautiful guests invited to visit on your show. Tuning in on my morning commute and hearing the authentically warm conversations remind me of what matters most as I make my way to the workplace. I appreciate the connection, the books recommendations and the awe-inspiring conversations that encourage me to love bigger and seek Goodness everywhere I go! Cheering for you, Jaime!!
WAHOOOOOO!! So excited for a new Happy Hour! Loved this episode. Meredith is incredibly inspiring. Thank you for interviewing her! I loved hearing her story. I’d love to hear you interview her parents too. It sounds like they are leaving a legacy of love through their commitment to adoption. LOVE the bag she and Jen Hatmaker designed! (That’s a lot of LOVEs for just an hour long podcast- you’re doing a great job!)
Love these clutches! Just hosted a truck show tonight. Thanks for having Meredith on, so excited to listen while cleaning tomorrow!
Loved this whole episode so much! Beautiful stories.
Jamie,
I’ve been following your blog and podcasts for a while now-I think I found you through a search about adoption. My son is two years “home” with us now, and he is my joy!! Your podcast is really so awesome, I tell my friends “I have this great new friend, Jamie, she lives in Austin!”—so silly, but seriously I really love learning about all these great people who love and serve God in so many contexts! Meredith was a treat, she reminds me so much of my daughters-one is 22, getting ready to graduate college and work in the foster care system, and the other is a freshman in college, studying human relations and international affairs-she will be spending a MONTH in Zambia this summer with her school program to learn about how non profits run over there-we are hosting a shoe-cutting party as her going-away send off!! I could go on and on, but just wanted to say I LOVE your podcasts, your transparency, your heart for The Lord and his work! and you are using your precious gifts in a PERFECT way! He is smiling along with us, for sure!!
I love listening while I run! I also just finished Serial…what on earth?! Jaime, since I have Binge listened to The Happy Hour AND Serial, what other podcasts do you recommend?? Thanks for all you do! Keep up the good work!
t embarrassingly excited when The Happy Hour icon on my iPhone tells me there’s a new post! I spend lots of time in the car, in airports, on planes, and awake in the middle of the night and would absolutely panic if I found myself any of those places without my podcast app and my earbuds. This week I’m totally in awe of Meredith–what a gift she is to those little babies she serves. And what a gift it is to hear her story.
Amazing. This is my first time listening & I’m so excited I found this podcast! I absolutely love watching Meredith’s adventures & listening here was so much fun. I’d love to make this clutch a conversation piece in my life! 😉
Wow! Meredith is amazing! How is she only 24?! 🙂 The story of her littlest sister?!?! If that doesn’t build faith I don’t know what will. God is AMAZING!!! Love that picture of Jen and Meredith and their friends in Rwanda! Great podcast. Love the clutch!
Enjoyed the podcast today! And love the clutches Meredith and Jen designed! I am reading “Left to Tell” and learning a lot about the history of Rwanda! Thanks for all the book recommendations!
I loved this episode! How inspiring is Meredith! Thank you for introducing me to all these wonderful women
All of your podcasts are so fun! I just love listening in on the conversations between you and your guests. It is such a blessing to be introduced to all these amazing women. Loved Meredith’s story, too!!
Yeah, I’d love to win a bag! Meredith was inspirational!
I adore Noonday and that beautiful clutch – but even more the hearts of the women who helped design and create it 🙂 What a fun giveaway!
i recently found her Instagram and she is so inspiring!! I totally see my oldest doing something like that one day!! 🙂
Love your podcast. It is encouraging listening to ladies talk real! Looking forward to this episode.
I have had the pleasure to know Meredith’s family and watch her and her brothers and sisters grow up. They are truly a blessing to all who know them! So thankful for all of the opportunities she is having to spread God’s word and love to so many.
One of the best books I have ever read!
I listen to Around the Table, Inspired to Action, God Centered Mom 🙂
I love this blog and the wonderful, God-centered women you interview! Thank you for following after God’s heart and blessing us all with the fruit of your faithfulness in Him! 🙂
Love hearing Meredith and her heart for orphan care. And the clutch is so cute!
Loved this episode! I especially loved hearing about the story of adopting Brooke. I had goosebumps thinking about how things “fell into place” (aka being led by God). This encouraged my heart. I love each Happy Hour podcast and get excited when I see a new one has been released. Thanks!!
I love listening to your podcasts! They make the drive to and from my grad school classes so much better!
I love me some Meredith! My mom taught her in 6th grade. She is so inspiring! Thanks for doing this podcast.
Your podcast is always a highlight of my week. I always leave it inspired, happy, and anxious for what the Lord has in store for my own life! You always ask questions that I would ask if I was in the conversation which is perfect! Thanks again for connecting us with all your amazing friends!
That green clutch is so clutch!!!
Meredith spreads joy everywhere she goes and keeps us laughing the whole way!
I was introduced to Noonday last week….love the business concept and how they help others!! Love the clutch!
Looks like such a fun night! I’d never heard of Morning Star before, I’ll definitely have to check it out, it sounds awesome!
Love NoonDay! I was introduced to the business last week!
Love the clutch! Too cute:)
I have so much fun listening to you and your guests. I have gleaned valuable advice on raising children, dealing with mommy issues and being a creative person. Plus I have a LOT of fun! You drive with me to work and spin with me at the gym. I never thought I could spin to anything but music but talking with gals makes time fly. Love your guests – keep the shows coming!
cute clutch!
Love this clutch which makes sense cause I love Noonday and Jen!
Thanks for sharing! I love Brooke’s adoption story. Oh, and cute Noonday bags!
What a great podcast. I loved hearing what Meredith is doing, so inspiring. I feel like I need to go somewhere from here I just am not sure where. Maybe by instilling the desire to be a world changer into my kids. Although, I’m not even quite sure what that looks like.
Very cute summer clutch!!
Once again, another great podcast! So thankful for you and for your heart to share all of these people with the world! 🙂
Love all your podcasts and would like a chance to win the clutch.
Amy
I have been following Meredith’s journey ever since she joined Jen on that Noonday trip!! I am blessed by her huge heart and her bring me to tears from laughing humor….I would LOVE to win the clutch, but more than that, I wanted to express the blessing that Meredith has been in my life and thank you for getting her voice and the AMAZING Morning Star NPO story out there. Blessings to you and your ministry!!
Love me some Meredith and Noonday! Thanks for sharing! Excited to listen to more 🙂
So happy to have found your blog! I love Noonday – their story, their vision, and their products!
love! and thanks so much for the podcast. it helps to get me through my workday, I only wish you released a new episode every single day 🙂
yay! These are both beautiful!!
I haven’t had a chance to listen to this podcast yet but I can’t wait! I stumbled upon Meredith’s blog a year or two ago and read the entire thing. It was such a cool story! I’ve just got to find an hour to carve out to listen to this!
I love the podcast. I listen to several different ones but Happy Hour is the first one I go to to listen. Keep up the good work 🙂
Cute BAG!!
Beautiful. Love Noonday!
Loved this podcast! And the clutch is adorable! Thank you for connecting with such brave, bold women. Meredith’s episode was sweet, funny, and enjoyable! And that clutch is FIERCE! Would love to win!
I love looking at all of noondays stuff! My car got broken into last week so I’m looking for a new clutch! Looking forward to listening to the podcast.
I always have a piece of Noonday on and I’d love to win the clutch. Meredith is such a bright light in our world!
Love Noonday! Thanks for the opportunity!
What a great interview! It is so inspiring. Both of your God stories sent so many shivers down my spine and brought tears to my eyes.
So sad that Noonday doesn’t come north to Canada (yet…?) but happy for whoever wins the beautiful clutch!
I love listening to your podcast, Jamie! Thanks for connecting me to new authors and organizations and world-changers. Love “meeting” your guests through you every week!
Loved this podcast! I’m a new listener to Jamie and a recent follower of Meredith on IG. So getting a chance to hear you both in one spot was a bonus! Loving metedith’s journey-and by the way, I have never seen “toe ring” either when looking at her name!
I loved this podcast and “meeting” Meredith! I had the privilege of spending some time in northern Iraq in 2009, and I can totally agree — my parents where happy with WHEREVER I went after that. 🙂 I love every happy hour, but this was one of my favorites.
Great podcast! I love all of them! Thanks for the giveaway!
Yet another amazing podcast! Thank you, Jamie! So inspired by Meredith. Beauty, beauty, all around.
This was my first time listening to your The Happy Hour & it was AH-MAZING!!! I love how you asked the questions that we would want to ask Meredith ourselves! Thank you for using your gifts to encourage our hearts & lives! I now will look forward to listening to the new episodes each week!
Loooove me some noonday and my name twin has such an inspiring story!!!
Jamie, thanks so much for creating such a wonderful podcast! As I’ll be graduating high school in a few weeks and transitioning into college soon, Meredith’s story gave me a lot of inspiration and things to consider for the future. It’s great to hear from someone who is just a few years older than I am and already doing so much with her life in serving others. Such a fun episode!
I loved this podcast especially the #iliveinchina!!! I so resonated with this because I am just back in the USA from living in China for 10 years!!!! Thanks for all you do Jaimie!!! Listening to a new Happy Hour podcast is one of my most favorite things!!
just listened. And like you, I want my kids to grow up to be like her!!
This episode was so inspiring. To hear about someone so young doing such meaningful work in foreign countries just filled my heart. The clutch is beautiful too (I laughed when Meredith said she wasn’t even allowed to iron on the interfacing). Thanks for another great podcast!
Loved this podcast! First one I’ve listened too. My kids were totally freaked by the voices coming from my boob (my phone was in my front pocket while walking around doing chores), but it was like spending the morning with new friends! Thanks for it. Ms. Toe-nail’s story was amazing!!! Listening to her heart for the orphan, ultimate longing for family preservation, and amazing work at the foster home… made me cry most of the hour. Just so beautiful! I’m a foster mama, so I am all too familiar with the hurt of saying goodbye to the sweet kiddos, and I am so very thankful for her sacrifice to love on these littles.
One thing I wanted to comment on, was the comment that you want your kiddos to have summer jobs that mean something. I’m going to comment, because this is sort of our family’s “thing” right now… but I’d argue there aren’t jobs that are less meaningful. There’s shouldn’t be a sacred/secular divide where jobs are concerned—being faithful to our gifitings, the Lord’s calling, and serving communities can be done in being a trash man, or in being a beautiful over-seas foster mom. My business-stud of a husband wrote a blog about it awhile back, he’s says it better (more efficiently!) than I can: hhttps://marshallandshannonsmith.wordpress.com/2015/03/12/business-as-mission/
So excited to find your blog! I’ve enjoyed you MCing (?) helping out with the Numb Bible study!! Incredibly blessed to have moved to Austin, and getting to witness and share life with the beautiful powerful women in Christ who live here. Thank you for creating a platform to share the stories of other generous beautiful women who are making a difference in the world!!
Also thank you for giving away beautiful noonday gifts, it’s awesome when you receive compliments, and you get the opportunity to tell the Noonday story 🙂
I am so glad you had Meredith on the show! This episode may have been my favorite and I’ve been listening since the beginning. I was so hoping you would ask about how she was parented, and you did, as raising globally-minded children is a value of mine. Its also so crazy how so many of your friends, near and far, are so interconnected! Love that!
I gasped when I saw Meredith was on your podcast. She is such a great example of a life well lived. Such a great happy hour. And i’m so happy about the noonday bag giveaway!
What an amazing story! Thanks for bringing Meredith’s story to us through your podcast.
Oh Shannon yes you are right – being faithful to what you are doing is so important. I should have clarified more. In high school I worked at a day care b/c it was easy and I could still party with my friends on the weekends and at night. I had no clarity to do a job that would benefit me in my life, or was out of a passion of mine. 😉
Found your podcast through your cast with Big Mama. So far I am loving it!! Thanks for the giveaway.
I also love Noonday. Connected with you on your social media outlets too!!
Love love love this! Oh my goodness I totally pray that one of my kids will grow up to be a missionary and impact the world in that way. Although I’m completely open to God’s plan for them too
Loved The Happy Hour! I love listening each week! Would also love to win the bag 🙂
Loved the podcast! I first heard about Meredith awhile ago and then was reminded of her and Brooke’s story when I entered the Style for Justice trip myself. I ended up voting for her instead of myself 🙂 so fun to hear about everything God is doing in China!
Melanie, I love your podcast and so many of the amazing women on this Noonday trip–Jen Hatmaker, Emily from JDC, and I can’t WAIT to hear Meredith’s story on this podcast! So fun getting to see all of the different perspectives from this trip on all of your blogs.
I LOVED listening to Meredith. Love what she’s doing SO much! Her story about her sister Brooke was so precious and gave me chills all over. Thankful for the way God is moving in her, in you, Jamie Ivey, and that through you ladies we’re encouraged to be more like Him!
Your Happy Hour got me started with podcasting and it has increased my productivity during nap time a TON! So much easier to get stuff done while listening to a podcast than while watching TV! I love Noonday and would love one of these bags!
I could listen to “Meredith stories” for hours. This episode had me enthralled. Here you have this young, precious human CHANGING the course of these babies lives in China. I must have looked like a lunatic with my earbuds in Target…..nodding my head, saying YES, & maybe tearing up a few times……i couldn’t stop listening, but we needed toliet paper. Im new to the podcast world & am so happy I found this Happy Hour goodness. It gets me through car pool & toliet paper shopping….Haha! P.S. We are in the process of adopting our child from Haiti & every single bit of inspiration I can get is precious to me. You girls have given me lots of hope today! Thank YOU!!
Love your podcast, Jamie! And what a fun giveaway! Thank you for sharing your light and your heart! You are AMAZING, lady!