Living Out Loud with Alley and Amanda

Big welcome to the show, Wesley Bell (Alley’s husband)!

Wesley has a wide range of clients that he enjoys working with. He is trained in EMDR, which is a trauma-focused therapy. He enjoys seeing clients heal their past traumas and find new growth in their life. He is also trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and really enjoys utilizing this model with couples. He’s also an equine therapist and loves combining his love for horses, healing, and therapy.

Call or email Wesley Bell – 

I was born in Batesville, MS and attended both Northwest Mississippi Community College & the University of MS, where I graduated with a degree in Social Work and a minor in Sociology. My career gravitated toward marketing and community education with an eventual emphasis in hospice care. But my greatest joy has been raising a family with my wonderful husband of 30 years, Brad. We have 3 amazing sons. One is a freshman in college & two of them are married, thus adding two incredible daughters to our family. Last year we received the gift of our first two grand babies, Lyla & Lincoln. 

We enjoy hiking, traveling, all things outdoors (and doing whatever it takes to get us all in the same state, under the same roof at the same time). 

In the past, I have had the privilege of leading high school & adult Bible studies, serving as Family Ministries Coordinator & working on a church staff as well as volunteering in youth ministry. More recently, I have led college Bible studies & served in various mentoring roles. I volunteer in prayer ministries and serve as a spiritual counselor @ Pinelake Church in Oxford. 

I am on a lifelong pursuit of understanding who God says we are, as His children & how that impacts every part of our lives.

I have a passion for helping others find the freedom Jesus died to give, specifically through understanding and embracing our identity in Christ.

I long for authentic, honest, raw conversations about how we combat the lies of the enemy with Gods’ truths that set us free. 

I love to spend time sharing these messages with individuals as well as groups who want to know more about how claiming our identity in Christ brings about life changing freedom. 

Amanda spent the first part of her professional career as a college football sideline reporter. She was a face on camera, a voice on radio and writer for many feature articles on athletes. At the height of her reporting career, she was 1 of 3 female reporters to ever be a member of a collegiate radio network team. She currently works for Varsity Spirit, helping teams prepare for their own gameday experience. As the Women’s Ministry Coordinator at her local church, God has uniquely prepared her to use passion, life experience and ministry to lead people to God’s word, which is the The Ultimate Playbook. In 2007, Amanda was crowned Miss Louisiana, which allowed her to speak to over 100,000 people during her year of service. Her husband, Brent, also serves as the Minister of Worship for their home church and is principal of a local middle school. They live in Louisiana raising their small but mighty team of 3 beautiful children to love Jesus and of course cheer on the LSU Tigers and New Orleans Saints.

Questions we discuss during our chat:

1. Describe 2 defining moments in your faith.
2. Tell us how God fulfilled a dream that actually never came true.
3. What is your side ministry project entitled “Play for the King”?
4. Favorite passage of scripture
5. What free resource do you have our listeners?

Empowering Women, Embracing Change

Kelly grew up in Northern California. After completing her high school education, she answered the call of duty and enlisted in the Air Force, marking a life defined by dedication and purpose. While her spiritual upbringing didn’t center around a particular faith, Kelly held a steadfast belief in the existence of God. This belief, however, evolved into a deeply personal connection with Jesus during her time stationed in Altus, OK. It was a coworker’s unwavering love and support, coupled with the warmth of their family, that facilitated this life-altering encounter.In the midst of her military service, fate introduced Kelly to her future husband, and their union marked the beginning of a new chapter. Over the course of four years, Kelly thrived in various roles, with her favorite being the role of protocol for the Base Commander, a testament to her impeccable organizational skills and creative flair.Transitioning from her military career to motherhood, Kelly embraced the role of a devoted homeschooler, dedicating a remarkable 19 years (and counting) to nurturing and guiding her three children. The joy multiplied with the arrival of two grandchildren

Kelly’s spiritual awakening ignited a fierce passion within her – a passion to empower women to rewrite their stories of defeat into victory and an understanding of their identity in Christ. She actively engaged in women’s leadership initiatives, extended a compassionate hand to those affected by sex trafficking in Texas, and since 2018, has been an integral part of the Pregnancy Center of Oxford.In a divine twist of fate, June of this year ushered in a new chapter as Kelly assumed the role of Executive Director at the center. This dream role perfectly blends her calling and fervor, allowing her to awaken each day with a renewed purpose: to shower women with love, compassion, and unwavering support right where they are. At the heart of Kelly’s mission is the belief that every person who enters the center’s doors is a divine appointment, “we want them to know they are seen, loved and valued.” Her guiding principle – that saving a life begins with nurturing the mother – echoes through her dedicated work.Beyond her pivotal role, Kelly is an enthusiastic community volunteer, relishing opportunities to connect with new faces, meeting a friend for coffee, reading a new book, or planning an event.As Kelly, her husband Jeff and two children proudly establish their roots in the welcoming embrace of Oxford, they eagerly anticipate the boundless opportunities that lie ahead.  A reflection of their unyielding spirit and commitment to the community.

Meet author J.B. Gregory. Call her Jen, though. She is a mom, wife, teacher, and writer. Not shockingly, her hobbies are reading and writing. Her husband Sean is an associate pastor at First Bossier; she has Jack, a junior in college preparing for law school, and Charlie, a freshman in high school. They’ve been married for 25 years this year. She loves time with family, serving her church, and hanging out with her students. She is here to share her testimony from a recent health crisis that led to her publishing her first children’s book on battling fear. Through that journey emerges a sweet and encouraging story of the goodness and faithfulness of God.

Deuteronomy 31:6  Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Mary Brantley Nalley was born in Huntsville, AL and attended Auburn University. Soon after she graduated, she fell in love with her now husband of 13 years, Lee Nalley. They have 3 kids, Collyar (9), Emaline (7), and Leo (4). She feels incredibly fortunate to be able to devote most of her time to these 4 incredible humans and does not currently work outside of the home. They live in Atlanta, GA and up until 2021, assumed their kids had excellent health and were thriving in their earthly bodies. That all changed very quickly when Collyar went into acute liver failure at age 7 due to an unknown rare genetic disease called Wilson’s Disease and received a life saving liver transplant. She no longer has Wilson’s Disease, but deals with the impacts that come with organ transplantation. Their middle daughter, Emaline, also has Wilson’s Disease, and is currently being treated with daily medication. In their free time as a family, they love to hike, mountain bike, play golf and tennis, and travel.

1. What is something you’ve learned about organ transplants and rare diseases that you didn’t realize before? 

2. How has this journey affected your kids and their faith?

 3. What got you through some of the hardest days?

4. What do you want people to know about how this has impacted your faith?

5. What is something people can do today to help families like yours?

Jessica-Lauren Newby wears many hats but she considers her roles as a wife, mother, and disciple of Jesus to be the highest of honors. She hails from her hometown of Tuscaloosa, AL. Having studied at both the University of Alabama and Auburn University, she now lives in Oxford, MS and she still says Roll Tide! During her career as a Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist she has pioneered nutrition services through a weight inclusive lens in multiple arenas including both university and medical campuses with a large majority of her time invested at Auburn University and Batson Children’s of Mississippi. She first opened her virtual private practice as a side-project in 2017 as a Certified Eating Disorder Registered Dietitian to provide care for those with with less access to eating disorder treatment based on location. She has enjoyed working as a pediatric specialist and board certified lactation consultant for Children’s of Mississippi as well as a consultant and supervisor for both treatment centers and university eating disorder treatment teams. She currently works full-time in her own private practice, With Milk and Honey, using her expertise in eating disorders, women’s health, lactation, pediatrics, and medical nutrition therapy through the weight-inclusive approach for all bodies and diagnoses. Jessica-Lauren serves as supervisor, preceptor, and mentor to hundreds of students and other professionals as a CEDRD-Supervisor. She loves helping people find freedom with food so they can experience both physical and mental wellness while they live out their God-given purpose without worrying about weight, calories, exercise plans, or ice cream. Jessica-Lauren enjoys partnering with student organizations and ministries nationwide to bring a gospel-centered message of how to care for our bodies so we can rightly focus on building God’s kingdom now and enjoying it forever. She is married to the love of her life, Andrew. In her free time, she loves reading, running, hiking, teaching the Bible, having spontaneous dance parties in the kitchen, and playing around with her three (soon to be four) wonderfully wild and free kids.

Jeremy Freeman is the lead pastor of First Baptist Church in Newcastle, Oklahoma. He was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, but attended college at Oklahoma Baptist University (OBU). He met his wife, Emily, at OBU, and they have been married for twenty three years. They have seven children: Brittany is a senior at OBU, Caleb recently graduated from Rose State College, Clayton is a freshman at OBU, Aubrey is in the 8th grade, Luke is 7 and Addi is 6. They also have one son, Trey, who went to be with the Lord nine years ago. Jeremy has been at First Baptist Church in Newcastle for 13 years and in full time ministry for 22 years.

Caleb is 21 years old, and a recent graduate of Rose State College. On December 19, 2017, Caleb and his brother, Clayton, were in a near fatal car accident on their way to a University of Oklahoma basketball game. Clayton suffered a minor concussion, but Caleb suffered a severe traumatic brain injury. Caleb was not expected to live the night of the accident, and if he did live, was not expected to live any kind of a normal life. God chose not only to spare Caleb’s life, but also to miraculously begin healing him. For the last 4 1/2 years, Caleb has been a walking/talking miracle! His story is impacting thousands of lives all across this country.

Questions we discuss during our chat:

1. What does #butGod mean?

2. How has God used trial, adversity, and loss in your lives?

3. Where have you struggled to trust/believe God in your journey?

4. If you could go back to December 19, 2017 and change anything, would you? Why or why not?

5. How do you pray God uses your story for His glory?

6. What are your hopes for the future? What are Caleb’s plans and how do you see God using the book?

Korie Robertson is a New York Times best-selling author, star of A&E’s Duck Dynasty and most recently At Home with the Robertson’s on Facebook Watch. She works in the family business Duck Commander, and is co-owner of Tread Lively Productions working to produce more hopeful, faith and family friendly entertainment through podcasting, film and reality and scripted television.

Korie is passionate about following Jesus, motherhood, adoption, caring for children and strengthening families around the world. She also enjoys travel, tennis, books, and teaching art in the summer at Camp Ch- Yo-Ca. Korie loves doing life with her husband, Willie, their six children and five grand kids in their hometown of West Monroe, Louisiana.

Writing credits include: The Duck Commander Family: How Faith, Family, and Ducks Built a Dynasty, Duck Commander Devotions for Kids, and Strong and Kind: Raising Kids of Character.

Questions we discuss in our chat:

1. You mentioned Your passions in your bio , how do you find time to engage with all of these passions well?
2. What are some things you have learned about marriage that have really helped in your marriage journey?
3. What are some ways you were intentional with your children about teaching them about Christ when they were young?
4. Tell us about Tread Lively & why you guys decided to start a production company.
5. Being in the public eye can be difficult in many ways. How have you & your family been able to maintain normal family life being famous?
6. What is your encouragement to women that constantly hear from the world what they are to look like, act like & think like?

Bonus: Korie's favorite thing right now!

Mary Patton Murphy is a junior at Ole Miss from Jackson, MS. During her time at Ole Miss, she has been a member of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy, Chi Omega Sorority, and Reformed University Fellowship. In her free time, Mary Patton enjoys reading a good memoir, playing the violin, going on walks with friends, or working on her podcast Be Loved, Be Bold. She is considering becoming an English teacher one day, though she also could see herself writing for a magazine or website and working in podcast production.

Small talk with Alley & Amanda:

Hayden Walker is a Bible teacher who is passionate about making Scripture accessible for people. She received her Master of Divinity degree at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama. Hayden has served on staff at churches in Arkansas and Alabama, and currently works for the Robert Smith Jr. Preaching Institute and is a contributing author in the forthcoming book, Triumph from Tragedy. She and her husband, Cody, have three children, Rhett, Harrison and Zoe Karis, who now lives in heaven.

Questions we discuss during our chat:

1. How did Zoe’s life and death shape your faith? What big questions did you wrestle through? (I’m thinking here about big questions of suffering, the nearness of God, even what it is like to “suffer in a fishbowl”…as a minister on church staff going through deep trauma)
2. What Scripture were you drawn to during that time? Which characteristics of God became most dear?
3. What have the different seasons of your grief been like? (I’d like to talk about the shock of diagnosis, period of illness, death, and 5 years of bereavement…and how grief remains but changes)
4. What are some helpful things that were done for you and Cody when Zoe died? How can listeners support those who have lost a child?
5. What do you hope a listener hears from you when you tell your story?

Terri Earls is a wife, mom and Co-founder of  Marriage DNA and Vow to Laugh. She was born in the 'village" of Carson,VA on her family’s 100 year old farm. She enjoys researching her family’s history and spending time with her husband, Comedian Jason Earls and their six children, Aaron,Alexandria,Alicia,Andrew,Achim(a-keem) and Aniyah. She has had the pleasure of living from coast to coast, experiencing God faithfulness in each city along the way. Her life experiences has developed her heart of true worship.
But most importantly she is a daughter of the Most High and that is the title she holds the dearest.

Questions we discuss in our chat with Terri:

1. What is life like with a family of 8?
2. How is it being the wife of a traveling comedian?
3. Why did you and your husband decide to homeschool?
4. Tell us about the marriage ministry you and your husband started. "Marriage DNA “ and "Vow to Laugh”
5. What's next?

Jill Dasher is the author of the brand new book SHALLOW, drowning in the shallow end of people’s approval. She is a blogger and Christian speaker who is passionate about sharing the freedom that exists when you refuse to live in hiding & freely submit all of your fears, flaws, & failures to the God who made you. She resides in the mountains of NC with her husband and five children.

Questions we discuss during our chat with Jill:

1. Why did you write the book "Shallow" & how do you hope it impacts those that read it?

2. Do you have a favorite chapter?

3. There is a good bit about your marriage in this book as well, you spoke about hitting a wall in your marriage. Could you discuss that a little bit and maybe give some advice to any listeners who may feel as though they have hit a wall as well?

4. In the chapter titled Shallow Image you discuss self-confidence vs biblical confidence. Why are we obsessed with self-confidence?

5. You end the book by inviting the reader into the deep. Inviting them to the throne room of the king & asking  him to shed light into our hiding places. What advice would you give someone who wants desperately to come out of hiding, but is afraid? Scripture reference-Revelation 3:20

Favorite quote by Jill: "Sometimes God fights for us by showing us the error in our own hearts!"- Jill Dasher

I love algebra. And I love to cook. If you follow the steps in algebra, you get the right answer. If you follow the recipe for chocolate cake, the result is chocolate cake. I like when a + b = c.

My childhood was filled with a lot of love and a lot of Bible stories.  We were in church every Sunday, and I soaked in the stories of Joseph, Sarah, and Moses.  I wanted to do life correctly like these heroes of the faith.  Because of my tendency toward formulaic thinking, my naive childhood observation was that Christianity was a formula that worked.  In other words, if I do a and b, I’ll get c as a result.

Two unsound formulas unintentionally developed in my mind as I grew up:

• do right things + believe the Bible = a good life without struggles
• do bad things + disregard the Bible = a difficult life with a lot of struggles

I entered into my late 20’s having followed the rules. I thought I had done right things and believed the Bible, but a + b was not delivering c. Instead I was getting x, an unknown and unwelcome result of difficulty.  Oh, the hours I spent trying to figure out what I was not doing right!  Was I messing up a or b?

With the ability to connect to people of any age group, culture, or background, evangelist Ken Freeman lives with a passion to bring people to know Christ and to make a deeper, more intimate, commitment to Him. Ken has been blessed with a beautiful wife, Debbie, two beautiful children, and eight beautiful grandchildren.  He has a passion for his ministry and he’s had an enormous amount of opportunities to do what he loves most, lead people to Christ. God has blessed Ken as he has been in the ministry for over 30 years, serving as a youth leader for about 12 years, and an evangelist for well over 25 years. He has seen over 200,000 decisions for Christ, one of which was his own father, been in over 3000 churches, written two books, and built a ministry around this one choice to accept Christ.

The son of an alcoholic mother and an absentee father, Ken’s life was filled with abuse and neglect.  Often times he and his sister would be left for days while his mother satisfied her addiction to alcohol and possible other drugs.  Other times she’d leave them with a boyfriend who would physically and sexually abuse them.  There were times he thought about suicide.  Other times he thought about murder.  His life seemed out of control.  Ken spent his life running, trying to survive.  He was bitter, hurt, and alone. Despite a horrifying childhood, Ken defied all odds with one choice that would change his life forever, his decision to accept Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior.  With that one choice Ken’s years of mental and physical abuse turned from a useless mess, to a powerful message.

Small Talk with Alley & Amanda: 

-Random questions for a laugh

-Favorite things

Questions we explore during our chat:

1. If anyone had a reason to not want to forgive , it would be you. How did you come to forgiveness?

2. You have known a lot of suffering in your life with your story, your grandson’s passing & grandson’s accident, what is the biggest thing God has taught you?

3. You & Debbie have been married for 49 yrs? With your traveling schedule, etc, How are you intentional with your wife & marriage?

4. Your story connects with all ages and you have  a special gift at communicating. You speak to adults & students. Just a few months ago at age 69 you spoke at my Regents School of Oxford & a highschool girl told me “ He just knows how to talk on our level”. It’s truly amazing to be 69 yrs old and connect with high schoolers like that. Do you plan on ever retiring?

5. Where can our listeners follow & support your ministry , get your books & go to book you to speak at their church, school or event ?

Bri Swann is a Christian social media influencer. Her rawness and vulnerability about healing is echoed in everything she creates in a wide range of avenues including song writing, spoken word poetry, viral TikToks and her new romance novel, April Showers. Her boldness to speak loudly about the Lord’s closeness to the broken hearted has inspired many and continues to reach millions of people across the globe through social media. 

Tune in as Rachel & Karen share about how God has lead them to create a bible study! 

Fathers House

What if we told you that you didn’t have to wait to experience life in your Father’s House?  We want to invite you to join us for what we believe is the most unique bible study available in years. Hundreds of women have taken the journey with us to Father’s House, the path to the place of knowing that they are lavishly loved daughters. We know that this study is unlike anything that they have ever experienced before, because THEY HAVE TOLD US. Women are encountering Father God, Jesus and Holy Spirit in ways that they didn’t even know was possible and their lives are being transformed! Through biblical teaching and unique activations that connect your head to your heart, Father’s House facilitates an experience with Father God that cultivates deeper intimacy and empowers you for a different kind of life – an adventurously expectant life! We hope that you will join us for an unforgettable journey – your Father is waiting for YOU!

Sam McManus is a current seminary student who is passionate about helping men pursue what matters most. As a single guy serving other single guys, Sam enjoys speaking to men’s struggles through his podcast, blogs, and online course. After graduating with a business degree from Auburn University, he now lives in Louisville, Kentucky. Since his own season of singleness is allowing him to be more available to God, Sam is excited for the Lord to work through him in the time ahead.