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In Ecclesiastes 3:11, we read that God makes everything beautiful in its time. It is comforting to know that nothing is wasted in God's economy, but all of it will be used for our good and His glory. You're invited to join us for poignant conversations and compelling interviews centered on believing for His beauty in every season.
Shannon Scott (00:01.75)
Well, hello, Angela. Thank you so, so, so much for being on the Everything Made Beautiful podcast. I am pumped about our conversation today.
Angela B. Reed (00:11.797)
Hey, I'm honored. mean, I'm a guest in your house, so I'm grateful. I'm grateful to be here. Thank you.
Shannon Scott (00:17.295)
Well, our listeners and viewers need to know that we had such an adventure getting this podcast recorded. So we are excited about what God has for this because it felt like the enemy was against it from jump.
Angela B. Reed (00:26.734)
Yeah.
Angela B. Reed (00:33.227)
That's right. we're gonna like shutting programs down, logging into different PCs. But here we are and here we are.
Shannon Scott (00:39.61)
Here we are. Yes. Yes. So you and I have a fun couple of connection points in that several years ago, our mutual friend asked me to come and speak at a women's event and you were emceeing that event and I watched you doing your thing and I don't remember exactly what I said to you, but I remember that the Lord was like, encourage her.
Angela B. Reed (00:55.149)
Yes. Yes.
Shannon Scott (01:06.484)
affirm her, she is doing what she was made for, and there's more of that to come. And it was just, it was so sweet to get to see you and your gifting. And then we got together again this past year at another women's conference we were both at. So I am excited about talking with you and I just want you to know and I want everyone listening and watching to know.
Angela B. Reed (01:08.303)
Mm -hmm.
Angela B. Reed (01:22.754)
Yes.
Shannon Scott (01:30.696)
Everything about you is legit, if I can use that word. You are authentically who you seem to be and it's inspiring. So I'm so glad to have met you.
Angela B. Reed (01:35.021)
That is so time.
Thank you.
Angela B. Reed (01:44.325)
Shannon, I can share the same thing about you because you may not remember, but I remember because it was really an encouragement that was a catalyst. And in simplified terms, you really just said, girl, do what the Lord has told you. I mean, basically that's what you said. You were like, just do what the God has told you, be obedient. And I've carried that moniker of just walking in obedience, but thank you for sharing that. Thank you for sharing those kind words.
Shannon Scott (01:53.302)
Mm.
Shannon Scott (02:02.924)
Mm -hmm.
Shannon Scott (02:07.894)
Well, it was so good. So I'd love for people just to get to know you. I know we have some really fun things to talk about, but take us back. Take us back to the start. Angela, how'd you grow up? Like what's your family situation like? And just give us a little bit of history of you.
Angela B. Reed (02:26.287)
Well, I am a Georgia native through and through grew up in a small town in the coastal empire outside of Savannah. I am the third of three. So the baby and really when I say the third, my brother and sister like upwards nine, 10 years older than me. So I came along almost to some people like, wait, I thought you weren't only child. Nope. I've got siblings, but there was a gap there, but yeah, youngest of three and
Shannon Scott (02:29.238)
Yes.
Shannon Scott (02:35.725)
Mm.
Shannon Scott (02:41.856)
Wow.
Shannon Scott (02:47.714)
Mm
Angela B. Reed (02:51.801)
For me, I got to watch them go through life and the stages of like school and then go off into adulthood while I'm still at the nest with my parents. So I like to almost kind of look at them sometimes as almost like a secondary set because they took me to places. They drove me, chauffeurs, fed me with mom and dad where it worked, babysat, all those things. But yeah, mean, a town five red lights large. I mean, it literally was like, cheers, everyone knows your name and they knew your family's name.
Shannon Scott (03:19.916)
Yeah. Yeah.
Angela B. Reed (03:20.821)
and your grandpa and all the things. So that's my humble rural upbringing here in South Georgia.
Shannon Scott (03:27.661)
I love that. How did you meet Jesus?
Angela B. Reed (03:31.887)
So my family church, Steep Hill Missionary Baptist Church, it is right outside of my hometown and it was established on April 4th, 1888. So when I say family church, this is family legacy church. So there's this phrase that goes around, you I was in the church nine months before I was born and that is true. I like to even back it up to say the prayers of my ancestors knew that their lineage would be a part of that church and I knew I was prayed for and covered then.
Shannon Scott (03:41.506)
Wow.
Angela B. Reed (04:01.529)
So for me, I gave my life to Christ at a very young age because I knew the teachings, but then also being able to see just how we lived church. This is the family church on my mother's side. So my maternal grandparents, they were elders in the church. My grandmother was the pianist, self -taught. And I like to say I carried some things from her because I never got to ask her this, but I didn't think it maybe was her choice. I think it was like, hey, here's a piano.
here you are and we need someone to play. And I get some of that too. I mean, that's where I really was able to kind of step up in the church. You know, as soon as you can talk, they put a microphone in front of your face and they say, up there and say your Easter speech. And that's what it was, you know, happy Easter day. There goes my public speaking career taking off. So really just being immersed in a family church and seeing family in faith.
Shannon Scott (04:45.476)
-huh.
Mm.
Angela B. Reed (05:00.247)
And that's what I grew up with.
Shannon Scott (05:04.962)
That's so awesome. What a legacy to be able to say all those generations ago in this same church, believing this same thing, worshiping this same God. Like I would venture to say a lot of us don't necessarily have that story. So that is such a legacy and such a gift of the Lord. I know that we'll get into your...
profession in just a little bit, but tell us about your family. So I know you're married and you've got three sweet kiddos. Brag on them just a little bit.
Angela B. Reed (05:39.887)
Yes, seven married for 13 years, learned a lot in these 13 years of marriage. And then you add three kiddos to that. So a 10 year old, seven year old and a two year old, two boys and a girl. So we've been able to experience it all with them as far as just what these young stages look like for them. And really, my husband and I were just talking about this recently. We feel like in the past few years, we're seeing them individually. I mean, know, the youngster just got here, but we...
Shannon Scott (05:57.847)
Yeah.
Shannon Scott (06:06.198)
Mm.
Angela B. Reed (06:08.559)
She showed up, showed out. We see her personality already. Like she is just all the things into one. But then with the boys, they were 26 months apart and being boys and being close kind of comboed. Like, y 'all like to do superhero things or y 'all like baseball. But in the recent years, it's been so sweet to see them really grow and navigate. And my husband and I are learning to speak to them as to who we're seeing them grow into be. So it's not so much like, boys, but more so,
Shannon Scott (06:11.295)
Mm -hmm.
Angela B. Reed (06:38.127)
hey, son, first born, let's speak into you and who you are and where we see God doing things in your life. So just being mindful that in the throes of parenting, where it's just like, okay, let's go do this, let's go do this, let's get all the things done. Realizing we are learning to see them, how God sees them and the path he's already kind of placing into them into their future years. So that's been fun learning in these, what, last month he turned 10, my oldest, so I've been a mom for a decade.
a decade in this motherhood game.
Shannon Scott (07:10.093)
Yeah. What advice would you give to parents about how they can begin to recognize those really unique ways that each child is gifted, talented, know, there are certain proclivities, personality types, because we were just talking as coworkers the other day and there's a definite shift between
you know, they are just a baby or a toddler who's going along for the ride in our family versus they're a distinct little person. And now we can start to see the distinctions. What advice would you give to parents to be on the lookout for that or or how to invest in and pour into those things when they see them?
Angela B. Reed (07:58.169)
You know, there are a couple thoughts to that, but I think one is spending time. If you have more than one child, or even if you have one child, spending time with your children. And I know time is like a seeping currency. We're all grasping for more, but we only have what we have. And so just, you know, leveraging those morning commutes and afternoon commutes, leveraging time when you can really just separate one from the others and just ask them questions like, what?
Shannon Scott (08:11.093)
Mm
Angela B. Reed (08:28.121)
What do you enjoy doing? What's your favorite thing to do right now? Because you know, with kids that changes every other day or every other week. And then showing genuine interest in those things too. Like most recently, my son, he's playing the cello. No one in my family has played the cello. This is a new cello experience for all of us. So we're all in this thing. And he's been so excited to show us just the little things that he's learned. But even in the thick of all the things, like I have a million things to do in the evening, get y 'all fed, all the things.
Shannon Scott (08:32.823)
Mm -hmm.
Shannon Scott (08:45.495)
Mm -hmm.
Angela B. Reed (08:57.817)
taking a moment to say, show me what you practiced today in school. So for me, I think time, something we don't get any back, but I think when we make those deposits, our kids see it and they remember it. You know, it's like that Maya Angelou quote. They may forget all the stuff we say, but how are we making them feel in the moment? And I think we all want that, like as parents, we want our children to feel seen by us, to see that we're not perfect.
Shannon Scott (09:00.408)
Yeah.
Shannon Scott (09:15.671)
Mm
Yeah.
Angela B. Reed (09:26.147)
but to say, in this moment, my attention is on you. So I think time is probably the biggest piece of advice I could give.
Shannon Scott (09:30.04)
Yeah.
Shannon Scott (09:34.284)
Yeah, yeah, that's so good. I know it's, I remember well, because I had a daughter first and that felt like that came naturally to me of being engaged in what she loved. And when my son came, I had to make a couple of really conscious decisions about becoming an expert in Legos and things like that of just like, I have to pay attention and I have to work for it. It's not just going to be, I'm his mom, so I get him.
Angela B. Reed (09:55.285)
Yes.
Shannon Scott (10:03.756)
I had to work for it and I definitely second that. Being interested in what they're interested in makes them feel seen. So good luck with the cello. That's a, you know, any stringed instrument is a very, how shall I say, challenging learning experience. Cause you talk about something that doesn't sound good until once you have gotten it figured out. That's it.
Angela B. Reed (10:09.839)
you
Angela B. Reed (10:30.915)
that part. My husband's already like, I found a spot in the basement for him to practice. I said, don't do that to him. I'll do that to him.
Shannon Scott (10:38.27)
Yes, when my daughter took up violin, we all looked at each other like, so we're all going to go on a journey now and we're going to have fun. So yes, blessings on you for the cello. So I'm fascinated by your background because you have been in both television and radio. So I want to just hear a little bit about those worlds.
Obviously you are a communication person, your degree is in communications, but how did you get involved in television and radio and what you think about it? Like, would you do it again?
Angela B. Reed (11:11.353)
So funny story, my friend and I in high school, and we've been friends since we knew friends were a thing in kindergarten when we started school. And we were so in sync that we both knew like entertainment, TV, journalism would be our jams. And we knew this at a, I'd say, know, early age, kind of like middle school. So in high school, we petitioned our school to say we would love to build a studio in school.
Shannon Scott (11:40.119)
Mm.
Angela B. Reed (11:41.203)
And this was around the time where tech was really to start starting to make, you know, a lot of waves and it was a technology student association. So we said, if we could start the technology assistant student association, we have to have a place to beat. both were green lit and check marks. So we were able to be the first students to go through our student television and broadcast program class in our school. And that's one of the like pivotal moments that I remember because I loved
storytelling. Now before that I was a student writer. Before that I wrote stories in school. My mom has some saved even from when I learned to write and create in elementary years. So for me it's always been this wave of storytelling but the method can be different and for me I'm like why not try them all? So high school started there with the television studio and then I started doing some commercials for one of my parents businesses like a local cable access radio.
Shannon Scott (12:21.612)
Mm.
Angela B. Reed (12:39.661)
And then in college, we actually had a student television station, a student radio station, and a student newspaper. Well, of course I did all three. I signed up for all three and that is where I really was like, okay, this is not just an assumption. I feel that I am connected to this work and being able to write in the newspaper as a journalist, know, speak mainly auditory through radio, but then also engage through the media with television. I wanted to divulge in it all.
So when graduated, I did a bit of kind of cable access, television there. Radio was short -lived because I really wanted to kind of niche down, as they say. And so I really just focused a lot on television. But I will say back then, there was a big push in entertainment news. So if you think about a lot of the entertainment shows that are out now, so I was definitely getting booked for like, can you interview on red carpet? Can you do this press junket? Can you go to this awards gala?
And I'm like, yeah, because I need to put, you I need to pay for rent, but give me the hard news stuff. Like I want to be Christiane Amandpour mixed with Oprah. Like give me those stories. And there was just kind of friction with that. And, you know, the twists and turns of my journey that had led me to what I do now is just being able to think through the fact that God didn't waste things. Because I will tell you, like having that door closed for that medium of connection, it hurt.
Shannon Scott (13:48.152)
Yeah.
Shannon Scott (13:54.54)
Mm.
Angela B. Reed (14:08.557)
like for years it hurt to like turn on the news and think, why would that not happen for me? To actually see Christiane Amenpour reporting and think, why did that not happen for me? I think that's so real. A lot of people don't think that when you are on the Christian journey that, if doors closed, it's okay. Well, we have to be okay with it, but we have to acknowledge the hurt of that dream deferred or denied. So yeah, the Lord was has been able to
Shannon Scott (14:08.674)
Yeah.
Shannon Scott (14:14.96)
Mm.
Shannon Scott (14:22.113)
Yeah.
Shannon Scott (14:27.693)
Yeah.
Angela B. Reed (14:38.482)
really reinvent how I use the God -given gift set, that's what I call it, that He gave me, and the earthly cultivated skill set for His glory in so many different ways now.
Shannon Scott (14:43.64)
Mm
Shannon Scott (14:49.462)
Yeah, yeah. I know part of your background too and I want to come back to what you just said because I'm wondering if there's any connection. Part of your background is in pageants and I am fascinated by this whole world. So tell us a little bit about that and then I just may have follow -up questions because it's fascinating to me.
Angela B. Reed (14:59.854)
Yeah.
Angela B. Reed (15:10.639)
Absolutely. So the first pageant I entered and I was pretty seasoned at this age if you think about when people in pageants start. I was nine years old, the whopping age of nine years old and it was the last day to register and I went to the school office to call my mom and I said, can you please come up here to pay the $25 entry fee and sign my permission slip? And I was like, today's the last day. And I was blessed with the gift of having parents that allowed me to have exposure.
Shannon Scott (15:15.777)
Mm
Shannon Scott (15:40.502)
Hmm.
Angela B. Reed (15:41.191)
Now that I'm a parent I see what that exposure came a financial expense a time commitment and I have been like Thank you mom and dad for this investment But I very rarely had them say no to any of my ideas or things that I wanted to do And so I signed up for this pageant. We went and bought a dress It was not the correct T -length dress So a lot of the girls had gowns the floor mine stopped at the knees mama had the matching ruffle ruffle socks to go with it
But I won. I got on stage. I did what I thought I knew to do in a pageant, which was to smile, make eye contact. And I won. And that for me, I think back, even I can see the auditorium and the stage and what I wore and being so singled out. Because when I got there and put on my dress, we were thrilled that I had my dress. But then I looked and saw the competitors and I was like,
Shannon Scott (16:18.413)
Mm
Angela B. Reed (16:38.957)
I can already stand out. So fast forward a few years later, I learned that I could get scholarship money to go to college. And I am the first in my family to graduate from a traditional four year university. So I was all about this. was like, how, where do I sign up? What do I do? So I learned there were two systems, the Miss Georgia America and the Miss Georgia USA. And Miss Georgia America, you have to have a talent as well.
Shannon Scott (16:40.93)
Mm.
Shannon Scott (16:52.576)
Wow.
Angela B. Reed (17:06.265)
So I was also in dance. I was trained in stage and vocal performance as well. And so I signed up for the Teen Pageant preliminary in my town. And that was my first taste of realizing gifts and talents could be a conduit to so much more. And for me, my aspiration was to go to college and to be able to use scholarships to pay for it.
Shannon Scott (17:24.312)
Hmm.
Angela B. Reed (17:31.041)
And I was able to do that mixed with the HOPE Scholarship. I call it Zell Miller Scholarship, but the HOPE Scholarship. And along that journey, a lot of people don't know you select a platform. And for me, it was a no brainer because before I even knew about the pageant world, I was already volunteering with abused and underprivileged children. And for me, it was just a natural catalyst to expose that work, expose how we can reduce child abuse prevention and expose that, hey, even in a small town.
Shannon Scott (17:34.55)
Yeah. Yes. Yes.
Angela B. Reed (18:00.556)
this happens and how can we one day eradicate it? So I've been an advocate for child abuse prevention for decades now and I use that as my pageant platform. But I learned a lot in the pageant world.
Shannon Scott (18:09.655)
Yeah.
I bet. what is, you know, you kind of, they'll make documentaries every now and then. And it's interesting because I was thinking about, you know, there was this documentary that was just made around the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders and their whole system. And it was fascinating. And also there was a little bit of uproar and outcry from the public around it, feeling like the objectification of women and
Angela B. Reed (18:19.385)
Mm
Angela B. Reed (18:26.745)
Yes.
Angela B. Reed (18:39.413)
Right, Yes.
Shannon Scott (18:40.564)
racial tensions and it's seeming, you know, and so I'm just wondering, I would imagine that the pageant world could come under the same kind of fire. What would you kind of say was your experience of the behind the scenes? And I don't think anything, well, there are some things, but I don't think most things like this are either all bad or all good. They all have their moments, but what's been your overall impression of something like that that seems to be
Angela B. Reed (18:54.109)
Thank you.
Shannon Scott (19:09.194)
specifically female and can come under fire for some objectification of women.
Angela B. Reed (19:16.845)
Yeah, absolutely. You know, for me, I entered it very wide -eyed to the point where I knew this was an opportunity to use giftings and talents, but it was also an opportunity for me to just try something new and to meet girls, like meet other girls that didn't even live in my county, but we all would compete in the same preliminary. So,
For me, I would say it was more so the fact of just wanting to try it. But then as I got older, like there was the teen division and the things I knew and was exposed to then, but then there's also the miss division as well. And then really the point of getting to the mess was having those foundational years in the team area. So as I was competing, I learned about, you know, okay, active wear changes to swimsuit.
And I did feel a certain way about that. But then I had to realize, okay, it's more so focused on the physical fitness component of this particular section of the pageant versus, they're just women up there parading in a swimsuit. So, and I'll be honest, that was my least favorite part of the competition, but it was unnecessary. So for me, I tried to, okay, make sure I was in the best physical shape I could be for those physical marks on the competition score.
Shannon Scott (20:30.378)
Mm
Angela B. Reed (20:46.389)
I feel that if you don't have a rooted foundation, that world or even industry could eat you up and spit you out. I've seen it firsthand with girls that I started with, that have now talked in recent years about how damaging, whether it was swimsuit, whether it was talent, whether it was the fact of you've got so many voices in your ear of what you should, could look like, and that yourself is not enough.
Shannon Scott (20:54.007)
Yeah.
Shannon Scott (21:14.551)
Yeah.
Angela B. Reed (21:16.035)
I definitely saw kind of like the themes that could be danger and damaging to young women. But to the point of like that foundation, I had a strong foundation in who I was, who I was created by and parents that loved and supported me no matter what, no matter if I got the participation contestant trophy or if I won, they were there to see me, to support me.
Shannon Scott (21:22.552)
Yeah. Yeah.
Shannon Scott (21:35.01)
Yeah.
Angela B. Reed (21:42.415)
through this goal of getting scholarship money to go to college and to graduate. So, and I'll be very transparent. I've been thinking about this in recent years as I've done a lot of, I'm calling it threading work back to how I show up in the world now. Like what were those moments in life that were catalyst to what I do now? And for me in that world, there was a lot of opportunity. We don't call it, we didn't call it that back then, but imposter syndrome.
Shannon Scott (21:46.84)
Yeah.
Shannon Scott (21:56.354)
Mm.
Shannon Scott (22:10.594)
Mm.
Angela B. Reed (22:11.435)
is highly used now, but I look back and I think a lot of us went through that because in one ear you're being told you're more than enough, like how you show up is fine, is great, give your best. But then another ear from experts is like, you have to have a white dress to win. You have to sing to win. Miss America has to sing in order to win all these things. And it can really just come in on you. So I think being rooted in who you are.
Shannon Scott (22:32.631)
Mmm.
Angela B. Reed (22:40.141)
And that's with anything, but just having that as your main say and your why. Like for me, my why is like, hey, yes, I am trained in dance and theater, but if I don't make it to Broadway through pageants, my college tuition is paid. So realizing the why of which I was planted there, and I'd love to see so many young women that are still doing it now and are in the system. They're speaking out about their fate and they're talking about being a light to the Lord and shining for his glory, whether that's in pageants or Olympic sports that we saw.
Shannon Scott (22:52.748)
Right.
Angela B. Reed (23:10.419)
at the Olympics this year. I love it because I feel like the Lord can use us in some spaces and places where he gets the glory and that someone sees you and they're like, there's something different. Tell me more about this light or tell me more about your faith. And I've always, I've seen in recent years how the Lord has used me in that from being in college and being in dance clubs and talking about the Lord to gentlemen in dance clubs.
Shannon Scott (23:19.756)
Yeah.
Shannon Scott (23:30.712)
Mm.
Shannon Scott (23:37.61)
Yes, yes, that's so good. Thank you for sharing that. I mean, being rooted is the key in anything. I mean, it isn't just something like this. Anything we're doing if we're not rooted has the potential to lead us in a way that's destructive or even just so self -focused and self -involved and forgetting our identity, whose we are.
Angela B. Reed (23:40.162)
Yes.
Angela B. Reed (23:47.342)
Absolutely.
Angela B. Reed (24:05.583)
Mm
Shannon Scott (24:05.996)
who has created us and why he's put us in whatever situation we find ourselves. So thank you so much for that. So I would love for you to just talk about what you're doing now. It's so inspiring. I follow you on Instagram and I'm just like, yes, everything in my spirit resonates with it.
So I'd love to just hear you talk about what you're doing now and its importance to you and why you're so passionate about it. Cause I think it's really gonna minister to people and meet several people where they are.
Angela B. Reed (24:38.159)
Yeah, so I am just in a season of obedience, real obedience. Like I've said that before. And I've shaped obedience to look safe and what I'm like, I'm going to go to this extent, Lord. But now I'm all in now. So I am really, I'm all in.
Shannon Scott (24:41.836)
Mm.
Shannon Scott (24:49.708)
Hmm. Ooh, that's good. Wait, before we go any further, how often do we say, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm obeying you Lord, right up to this moment. And we wouldn't say it, but we know we are not all in. So I'd love for you to even just talk a little bit about what does all in look like?
Angela B. Reed (25:06.256)
Mm -hmm. Yeah.
Absolutely. And the thing is, he knows. He already knows because he knows our heart. He knows the decisions we make. So I am making good on my word now and trying to catch up to what I promised him then. And I like to say it like this. I know I've been called. I've always answered my own way.
Shannon Scott (25:14.306)
Mm
Shannon Scott (25:24.495)
Wow.
Shannon Scott (25:31.468)
Ooh.
Angela B. Reed (25:32.863)
And I am committing and recommitting and dedicating literally every day that I take my walk with the Lord, I recommit because it's a reminder of what He's already done for me, but what I told Him I would do for Him. And so I am really reaching out with my message of connectivity and just the fact that, you a lot of people say it's a small world. I debunk that. It's not a small world because my God didn't make anything small. It's a connected world.
Shannon Scott (25:41.975)
Hmm.
Shannon Scott (26:02.029)
Hmm.
Angela B. Reed (26:02.063)
It's not small, it's connected. And I took a strength finder's assessment and it's like, yeah, you're a connector and you're a communicator. I'm like, well, thank you for validating what God already put into place. I see that. But I'm making good on that too. And I'm making sure that I am spreading that word of connecting, but also realizing we are so uniquely made. We are originals, one of ones, and we don't see ourselves that way. God does. He always sees us that way.
So the more we can own our original and who we are to Him, that's how we show up in this world. And so I've been talking about that with women's groups, ministry groups, businesses, and just really leading now from a position of obedience versus kind of this like, think I'm gonna do this Lord, I'm not quite sure. But yeah, it's just really.
communicating to people the fact that we've got so much more in common than what is spoken to divide us. And I think we need that now more than ever, whether you are in the marketplace, whether you're in ministry, whatever you show up in this world, it's easy to have something divide you. I'm team blue pin, I'm team black pin. Well, we're all writing our story. Let's come to common ground on that. So that is what I'm doing now. And I'm just, I'm so grateful that
Shannon Scott (27:02.519)
Yes.
Shannon Scott (27:14.871)
Mm
Shannon Scott (27:18.102)
Yeah. Yeah.
Angela B. Reed (27:24.941)
I get these opportunities to just share what God has done in my life, what he's doing in the lives of others, and to be connected across so many different spaces to share such a pivotal message.
Shannon Scott (27:37.228)
Yeah, what do you find being?
the biggest barriers to people understanding their unique identity and their unique God given identity in this world. Because it's one thing to say, yes, we're all put here to adorn the gospel of Christ and give hope for, know, what is that light that you spoke about when you would have people say, tell me what's different about you. That is all our common gift.
Angela B. Reed (27:44.142)
Hmm.
Shannon Scott (28:10.316)
But at the same time, there are specific things that are for Shannon Scott and there are specific things that are for Angela Reid. What do you think are the barriers to people understanding their unique and specific design in the kingdom of God?
Angela B. Reed (28:26.687)
I have a couple thoughts about this. One is I am a product of encouragement. All of my life, and I'm so grateful to be able to sit here and say that, all of my life I have had people encourage me. They have poured into me. My second grade teacher, Ms. Ruthy Mae George, outside of blood family, she saw my gifting and communication and she enrolled me in oratorical speaking competitions. She gave me my first text.
Shannon Scott (28:32.717)
Mm.
Angela B. Reed (28:56.015)
which was Psalm 23, Psalm 24, and I would go to these competitions and oratorically speak those two pieces of text. I tell her, I say like, she gave me that opportunity to just really empowered me to say, hey, I see you, I see your gifting, because I sure didn't. I was just like, yes, ma 'am, I'm gonna come and be a great student, I'm gonna do what I'm supposed to do. But she saw that and having been a former teacher myself,
There's so much validity when your teacher says, good answer, good question. You did such a great job in that. We need that outside of just that educational environment and sphere. So I'm a big advocate for encouragement. True it, Kathy, the founder of Chick -fil he says, how do know someone needs encouragement? They're breathing. That's one of his famous quotes. And it's so good and it's so true. I think...
Shannon Scott (29:38.764)
Mm -hmm. Yeah.
Shannon Scott (29:44.908)
Mm
Shannon Scott (29:48.364)
Yeah, so good.
Angela B. Reed (29:54.829)
When people don't get encouragement, it's like not getting the air you need to breathe. It's not getting the water and the nutrients you need to survive. And so you'll start seeking out alternatives that aren't nourishing you and putting you in a position to optimize what you should be doing. So encouragement is one of those things. And then two, knowing that if you put your mind in the work behind something that you've been gifted and graced to do, it shouldn't look like what someone else is doing.
Shannon Scott (29:58.786)
Mm.
Shannon Scott (30:24.886)
Mm.
Angela B. Reed (30:24.941)
I think that's where we get it wrong. know, God has given you, Shannon Scott, the ability to use your voice, your platform in a specific way to a specific group of people. Why should someone want to emulate what God is doing for you when they don't realize what he can be doing through them personally, uniquely with his thumbprint? So that's another thing is like, I think people look too much the left and the right and
Shannon Scott (30:32.872)
Mm
Shannon Scott (30:40.896)
Mm
Shannon Scott (30:44.632)
Mm
Angela B. Reed (30:53.813)
I can speak from that place because I did it. I definitely did it. We talked about pageants earlier. I definitely did it in the pageant years. My gifting that I'm using and I've used throughout my life is communication. Why was I not oratorically speaking on that stage? Because someone told me you should be singing, you should be dancing, where in reality I should have been speaking. So I think encouraging people where they are.
Shannon Scott (30:56.064)
Yeah. we all have.
Shannon Scott (31:08.257)
Mmm.
Angela B. Reed (31:20.023)
and saying that I see you, I see what God is doing in your life. I see the anointing that he has graced you in what you need to do specifically. That can be all someone needs to take that next right step into what God has for them fully, not just half stepping, but into it fully for what he has for them. But now more than ever, it's harder because we're seeing so many different messages from social media to the things that are just
Shannon Scott (31:45.122)
Yeah.
Angela B. Reed (31:48.707)
popped up as notifications and the news. It's very convoluted, but something that has been for decades, years, centuries is the fact that it costs nothing to encourage someone. So that is what I think we need more of.
Shannon Scott (32:05.42)
You know, and I think, I don't think we think this consciously, but I think when we see someone doing what they're clearly gifted by God to do, we assume they don't need encouragement. Like if I see somebody who's the best whatever I've ever seen at what they're doing, I assume they know that. But especially for those of us who are following Jesus,
Angela B. Reed (32:17.763)
Mm
Angela B. Reed (32:21.369)
That's good.
Shannon Scott (32:33.75)
We're just one whisper from the enemy away from doubting every bit of it. And so that is such a, it's actually convicting to me to hear you say that. And it makes me think as the people of God who hope people will be speaking life into us, the way to almost assure that is to ensure that we are speaking life over other people. When we get that nudge to tell somebody,
Angela B. Reed (32:52.025)
That's right.
Angela B. Reed (32:59.587)
Yes.
Shannon Scott (33:01.442)
hey, I enjoyed that or hey, I see this in you or hey, you're doing it. So I assume you know, you're good at it, but I just wanted to say that it's ministering to me or what it costs nothing, but it may be the thing that God has purpose to combat the lie of the enemy at that moment. And that's happened to me so often. If somebody texts or reaches out or you have done it, you have done it about episodes of this podcast. And when you say it,
Angela B. Reed (33:18.425)
Amen. Amen.
Shannon Scott (33:29.652)
is the exact moment that I needed to hear it because I was going, what am I doing? Is anyone even paying attention to this? Is this helping anyone? So that's really convicting. Thank you for saying that because it costs nothing to encourage someone is profound, but we don't do it. Cause I think we get insecure.
Angela B. Reed (33:38.713)
Yeah, that's real.
Angela B. Reed (33:46.666)
Mm -mm. Yeah.
Absolutely. Like we should all be millionaires of encouragement. We should be pouring it out like just millionaire philanthropists of encouragement. And I think you're spot on. I think people still have this mantle of success and made it not realizing what it took someone to stand at the podcast, to do the keynote, to launch the book, to submit for the business, not knowing what that took.
Shannon Scott (33:54.295)
Yeah.
Shannon Scott (33:58.497)
Yeah.
Shannon Scott (34:09.824)
it's good.
Angela B. Reed (34:18.733)
that could have been like just their last stretch of encouragement. And then you swoop in and encourage them further. And I think people forget the fact that God can speak to us through people. It's not just him always downloading a divine download and saying, here's what I told you to do. He's like, no, I sent Sally last week to encourage you because you needed to hear it from Sally and Sally needed to be obedient to me to get the words through her to you. That's what I think.
Shannon Scott (34:19.223)
Yeah.
Shannon Scott (34:30.348)
Yes.
Yeah.
Shannon Scott (34:40.12)
Mm
Shannon Scott (34:46.232)
Yeah, so good. Ooh, listeners, pay attention to when you have those feelings of I should say something to so and so, or I should text so and so, or I should walk up to so and so and say this, even if they're gonna think I'm weird. God worry about that. You be obedient. That's so good. I wonder if you'd be willing, you know, the whole title of this podcast is Everything Made Beautiful. It's from Ecclesiastes 311, believing that
Angela B. Reed (34:51.897)
That's it.
Angela B. Reed (34:55.939)
do it.
Angela B. Reed (35:02.881)
Absolutely. Yes.
Shannon Scott (35:15.83)
God's economy is one that makes everything beautiful in its appropriate time, in its season. Often that may not be the season we live to see, that may be a later season, it may be something that is made beautiful in eternity and eternity alone, but our faith is in the God who makes everything beautiful, nothing is wasted. So I'm wondering,
Angela B. Reed (35:20.046)
Yes.
Angela B. Reed (35:38.188)
Amen.
Shannon Scott (35:43.542)
Would you be willing to share a way that you have seen God make something beautiful or even something that you're just believing Him for and you haven't seen it be made beautiful quite yet?
Angela B. Reed (35:55.607)
Hmm, yes. So for me, it's something I am beginning to share more because I realized how deep this connects with other people. So my father battled alcoholism for a number of years when I was young. And I would go to AA meetings, because if you know anything about Alcoholics Anonymous, there are meetings, they started a certain time and you make a commitment.
And so I remember going with him and my mother to these meetings. And I think then is where really a wave of empathy began to fill my heart and shape my mind of the fact that life is not perfect. We are broken people and something that the enemy tried to use to manipulate and really destroy my father.
is something now that he is a certified addiction counselor that he now helps people to restore and overcome. But I think back to those early days of realizing the struggle that he had to go through to show up each time to push and pursue. And even for us as a family, if anyone listening has gone through any type of addiction with family, it's usually not just one person. There's been some type of history.
Shannon Scott (37:05.334)
Hmm.
Angela B. Reed (37:16.853)
there that the enemy has taken this foothold to. But I am so grateful that because of his commitment to stop and to take on, I will end this in my family and bloodline. That is something that I'm grateful. I do not have to worry about in my life. Like I've never been addicted to any kind of substances. And it's just so again, it's just the fact that generations interceded for us.
Shannon Scott (37:34.498)
Yeah.
Angela B. Reed (37:44.355)
decades, years, centuries before we knew we would show up in this world. Because I look at my children now and I'm, thank God they have a grandfather who's here, who is healthy and who is saved. Like in his walk, not only is he an addiction counselor getting people through that, but he's also a pastor. So it is just an amazing story of how God took something that really could have taken him out of this world and has now really redeemed him and has helped sustain.
Shannon Scott (37:45.773)
Wow.
Shannon Scott (37:57.346)
Yeah.
Shannon Scott (38:09.174)
Yeah. Yeah.
Angela B. Reed (38:14.285)
the new start of our family generation moving forward. So I'm so grateful for, I mean, it's hard to say I'm grateful for those hard times, but to see what the Lord is doing, like to see what he's doing in the darkness, working through that, he's brought him into some light. So yeah, that is, yeah.
Shannon Scott (38:19.052)
Yeah.
Shannon Scott (38:24.598)
Exactly.
Shannon Scott (38:33.206)
I think about Joseph's story of what you intended for evil, speaking to the enemy. You intended for this to take me out. And not only did it not take me out, but God is letting it be the thing I'm able to use to reach people who are in the same position I was in. And in the sovereignty of God.
Angela B. Reed (38:53.527)
Yeah.
Shannon Scott (38:57.566)
your dad would not be able to speak from a place of experience had he not gone through it. And so God's able to use it down to the nth, down to the minute degree. And that's just, that's the amazing and mysterious thing about the sovereignty of God is that struggle of your dad's is what is going to be used to save many behind him.
Angela B. Reed (38:57.796)
Yes.
Angela B. Reed (39:10.669)
Yes. Yes.
Angela B. Reed (39:17.495)
and
Angela B. Reed (39:24.47)
Absolutely.
Shannon Scott (39:24.79)
So yeah, talk about everything being made beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing that. I know it's hard to share things like that, but I know that that will help people. And I know that there are people who have family members or who they themselves are struggling with addiction and probably feel like there's no way out. So what a great encouragement that there is. Yeah, so good.
Angela B. Reed (39:28.51)
Absolutely.
Angela B. Reed (39:34.543)
Mm
Angela B. Reed (39:42.509)
Yes. There is and it won't be overnight. It won't be overnight. And sometimes it may not be something that you see directly, but gosh, it's worth it on the other side. So if there is someone that is struggling or you're trying to be that support for someone that is listening, as they say in a day at a time.
Shannon Scott (39:49.408)
Mm
Shannon Scott (39:58.85)
Yeah.
Shannon Scott (40:07.608)
Yeah.
Angela B. Reed (40:08.121)
Take everything a day at a time and no one trusts that God is using that day for his glory. There's something happening. You may not see it overnight, but it will happen. Just trust him and his timing and he will redeem and restore.
Shannon Scott (40:13.718)
Mm. Yeah.
Shannon Scott (40:20.461)
Yeah.
Shannon Scott (40:25.634)
So for people listening, they're thinking, man, I want to hear more from her and they want you to come and speak to their business or their ministry staff team or their school or what, how can they get in touch with you and what could you come and speak about for them?
Angela B. Reed (40:32.729)
you
Angela B. Reed (40:44.333)
Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. So they can go to angela beread .com. My Instagram is also Angela beread, R E E D and just send me a message. I love to connect with people. So just give me a follower, a message and we'll connect. And there are a number of things I could talk about. I've known I mentioned the only original message, but you know, I'm also in the marketplace as a business leader in a corporate environment. So I've worked in training and learning and development.
in leadership, when you think about corporate social responsibility, innovation. I've been able to wear a number of hats in my years and that's something that energizes me and just gives me joy is to be able to take what I've learned over the years and really pour it out to people that are looking for their next. Or maybe they're a little stifled in figuring out, how can we innovate and ideate on where we are to move to the next?
Shannon Scott (41:37.538)
Hmm. Hmm.
Angela B. Reed (41:39.499)
Sometimes you just need to hear a solid message about leadership and understanding, okay, what led me here may not lead me there. I need to move to the next step. So yeah, I'm kind of like a charcuterie board of different topics that I love to just really connect with people to talk about. And if you just want to share your life story with me, I'm all for that too.
Shannon Scott (41:53.912)
Yeah.
Shannon Scott (42:01.681)
We're good.
Shannon Scott (42:05.828)
Yes, connection, connection, connection. That's so good. I will put all of that in the show notes, people. So if you were like, wait, wait, wait, now I have to rewind. Never fear. I will put it in the show notes. But Angela, before we go, I want to ask you the question that I ask all of my guests as the last question, which is, if you could architect or design your perfect, beautiful day, what would it look like from start
to finish, whatever that looks like for you.
Angela B. Reed (42:38.659)
think I'm pretty simple. So it would be waking up to worship music, instrumental classic. I'm a very eclectic music person. So working out to music. If I'm by a beach, that is ideal. Like that would be the jam is to be by a beach, walking with Jesus, literally seeing his footsteps in mine and being like, his footprints in the sand. Look at us. Like that would be great. Fresh fruit and fresh seafood to eat.
Shannon Scott (42:48.022)
Mm
Shannon Scott (43:02.87)
Hmm.
Angela B. Reed (43:07.605)
all day would be my jam. And then maybe stumbling upon some historic homes and cars. So I love historic homes and buildings. I'm a car enthusiast. I like to see old builds and then maybe having my camera with me to be able to photograph all the things. But I think I'd be pretty simple. Like that would be a great day for me.
Shannon Scott (43:13.642)
Mm.
Shannon Scott (43:28.616)
Yeah, that's good. Historic homes and cars, that's fun. Yeah, every time somebody answers this question, I think, okay, maybe that's my perfect, beautiful day. So it's fun to go on these journeys with everybody. well, Angela, thank you so much for coming to have this conversation. That connection piece and the encouragement piece are gonna stick with me for a long time. The Holy Spirit was really...
Angela B. Reed (43:42.637)
Ha ha ha ha!
Angela B. Reed (43:54.819)
Good.
Shannon Scott (43:56.632)
pushing on me when you were talking. thank you just thank you for sharing yourself and your story with us today. We are really grateful.
Angela B. Reed (44:06.607)
Thank you for your yes. I know it was a yes of obedience for you walking in what the Lord instructed you to do, which has opened the door of opportunity for people to glean what he's doing in the lives of others. So thank you for having me Shannon.
Shannon Scott (44:08.435)
Mm. Mm.
Shannon Scott (44:13.303)
Mm -hmm.
Shannon Scott (44:20.158)
Yes, thank you so much. And to those of you that are listening, thank you for joining us. Make sure to connect with Angela. I'll put all her stuff in the show notes. And don't forget to be on the lookout for the ways that God is making everything beautiful, including you. And we will see you next time.