To: The sister who wants to say YES, but fear is whispering in her ear.

“Start a Bible study in your home…Oh, I’m not sure my house is big enough.”

“Serve at the local food bank…It costs too much to get a baby sitter for my kids.”

“Join a women’s group at your church…I feel bad for leaving my husband with the kids after work.”

“Apply for the job…My resume isn’t very good.”

“Give the waitress a large tip…I can’t because I need to save money.”

Oh how guilty I am for getting an idea, a nudge from the Holy Spirt, or an invitation to say YES to God, but shut it down quickly.  But why? Fear. The fear of thinking I heard wrong. The fear of not being good enough. The fear that I won’t be able to handle it or mange the details, and the fear that I will lose control or be labeled as a failure for starting something and not finishing.

Fear. Fear. Fear. We all have it.

Do you know what else we have? Desire. Desire to do things that make us come alive. The desire to seek, hear, and walk in relationship with our Creator. The desire to say “YES” to God. Saying YES to Him doesn’t mean we won’t have fear, but saying YES draws us into a relationship with Him. An invitation into an adventure we just cannot pass up.

We find in Joshua Chapter 1 a beautiful example of yielding to God’s plan, expecting His faithfulness, and seeking Him while stepping out. God commands Joshua to seek Him so he can make wise decisions, be strong, be courageous, and trust that God is with him as he goes. We see in this passage that God is the great planner, faithful in His promises, and trustworthy. So, of course we can give Him our YES, but how?

Think of your “YES” in three categories: Yield to Gods Plan, Expect His Faithfulness, & Seek Him and Step Out.

Y: YIELD TO GODS PLAN (Joshua 1:2)

God called Joshua to “ARISE” or get up and go. God had a plan to bring His people into the land He promised and needed Joshua to yield to that plan. I think it’s important to note the word “yield.”  When you come to a yield sign, you slow your vehicle and look around for other traffic that could come from another direction. To give our YES to God, we must yield to His pace. It can be tempting to rush ahead and take matters into our own hands, or kick our feet questioning if we really should step into this opportunity. So, where do we start? We ask. Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call on the Lord and He will answer you, and tell you hidden things that you do not know.” Prayer is not just a monologue, but a dialogue. We must come to Him with courage to ask, “God, what are you inviting me into?” He promises to answer.

E: EXPECT HIM TO BE FAITHFUL (Joshua 1:5)

He said to Joshua, “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.” I love how God promises and reminds. He promises Joshua that his journey will be successful, that He will go with him, and He will not leave him. He reminds Joshua of His faithfulness with Moses. Joshua had walked with Moses and learned the ways of leadership and had seen God’s  faithfulness to him which encouraged him to step into his new role. Just as God promised and reminded Joshua, He does the same with us and we can expect it.

S: SEEK HIM AND STEP OUT (Joshua 1:3)

The vow to receive the land was part of God’s covenant with Israel. God would keep this vow, but the Israelites had a working part in receiving the land. He told Joshua, “I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.” This means Joshua and the Israelites must “set foot” in the land and war for their inheritance. As was noted by Moses when passing on the Word of the Lord, “See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land the Lord swore he would give to your fathers — to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — and to their descendants after them”.  The Lord had given Israel the land, but they would have an active part in taking possession of the land themselves. God worked on their accounts as they STEPPED OUT in FAITH to take an ACTIVE part in taking possession (Deuteronomy 1:8).

We gave God our YES 9 years ago. We hope our story encourages you!

On Oct 2014, Amanda felt God put the word podcast on her heart. This vision was to encourage women in their faith, as wives, moms, sisters, daughters, and friends. Her response was,  “Me? really? I do not know how or what to do to start that.” She didn’t share this with anyone. She kept praying about it every time God brought it to her mind and heart. Amanda and Alley soon met and their friendship grew quickly. They learned they had a huge passion to encourage women in their faith. One day in April, Amanda woke up with the podcast and Alley on her mind. She couldn’t stop thinking about it. She asked God “Is Alley suppose to do this with me?”  She immediately shared her vision with Alley. Meanwhile, they were helping prepare for a women’s gathering. At the end of that women’s conference, they were all challenged to write on a stone a “step of faith” God was calling them to take. Alley and Amanda were talking after the conference and shared that they had both written “podcast” on their stones. They did not want to write it down at the time, but knew God was calling them to take that step of faith. The scripture Joshua 1:3 “I will give you a place for every step you set your foot, just as I did Moses” became so alive in God guiding their steps. They said “Yes, we do not know what to do, but we say yes to you Lord!” The next day, God gave Alley the name ”Living Out Loud.”  They knew God had given them the two words “Transparency & Encouragement.” That week, God opened more doors confirming that this was His will and gave them a platform through a local well-known website.  God began to reveal that this podcast was to be a platform for women to be able to share their stories. God saw two women who had a passion for Him and passion to encourage others. God heard their prayers and so sweetly brought them together to glorify Him.  

Our ministry verse is Revelation 12:11 “For they will conquer by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” We desire to encourage others to share their story and truly believe it brings healing to their hearts as well as the hearts of those who listen. Our podcast is a platform for women and men to share what God is doing in their lives and how He is faithful. Sometimes we laugh, sometimes we cry, but in the end, it’s always encouraging. 

What is God inviting you into and will you say YES? 

XOXO, 

Your sisters Alley Bell & Amanda Reed

Have a story to share? Is God calling you to share? Visit our website and submit the form under the “Share your story” tab.

Connect with us on Facebook and Instagram or visit our website www.livingoutloud.today 

Also, we just published our first devotional. Join us for 30 days as we share truths from God’s Word, personal stories from our lives, and encourage you to reflect and journal as you spend time with the Lord. Click here to purchase!