Rooted in Christ-Standing in Truth

In a world where opinions are often louder than principles, today's guest has chosen to stand firmly in her Faith, her family and her convictions. As a devoted wife, loving mother and passionate advocate for the values she believes strengthens both homes and communities, she joins us to share her perspective on Faith, marriage and navigating today's cultural and political landscape. Whether you agree with her views or are simply curious about what shapes them, this conversation offers an honest look at a woman striving to live out her beliefs with purpose and conviction! I hope you love Tori as much as I do!

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:03

Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Born to Win podcast. Okay, guys, I'm skipping my intro today because I am so excited for the guest that I have today. Um, she's a good friend of mine, and I just when I met her, I don't know how many years, three, four, five, I've lost track. Five years ago, probably four years ago. Um, I just immediately was drawn to her. Her energy is amazing, and I've just I have grown to love her even more since then. So today we're gonna speak with Tori Shira. So everyone say hi to Tori. And I wish you guys could see her. Um Tori is always a bundle of color, which is part of why I love her. Um, I'll just give her a little introduction on the she's got beautiful long blonde hair with pink. Are we doing pink right now or is that red?

SPEAKER_02 0:50

It's pink, it's pink right now. It's pink right now.

SPEAKER_00 0:52

Yeah, so it's pink in her beautiful hair. She's decked out in the red, white, and blue of America because she is the most patriotic person I probably know. And so I am really excited, Tori, to talk to you today. I was telling you before we started recording that I'm just not even doing the intro because I have so much to say and so much to ask. And I just wanted to jump in. So welcome and thank you.

SPEAKER_02 1:15

Well, thank you so much for having me. I so appreciate it. I love opportunities like this. And um, you know, our friendship is just been such a blessing in the business world, um, but just personally to know other like-minded, um, God-fearing women and who are doing all the things like we were chatting about before we hit record. So just thank you for thank you for being you and being obedient in all the things that God has got for you.

SPEAKER_00 1:45

Well, thank you so much. Um, so I there's you are such a multi, like faceted person. There's so many things that I want to start with the God part because that's really what this podcast is about. And then I want to venture off of that into the other things that you are so well known for. But um, with Tori, I knew I wanted to be your friend when you were talking about Halloween and that you have the giant skeleton in your yard and your neighborhood hates it. So you got them. I was like, that's my girl, because she's not gonna live within the box of what everyone else wants her to do. So no, um tell us a little bit about your faith journey because I know faith and and God is really important to you. You're very vocal about it. So, how did that all start?

SPEAKER_02 2:34

Um, so I accepted Christ when I was seven years old in the back of a church fan, coming home from church camp. Um, but that pretty much, and I was raised in a great Christian home. And so I went to church on Sundays. I, you know, I did church camp, VBS, all of those things growing up, but I didn't really have a personal relationship with God, Jesus, really, um, until much later in life. Um I was um I met my husband and started dating him when I was barely 19 years old. Um, it was my freshman year of college. And again, I I knew God. I read the Bible, you know, when it was at church or whatever, but again, didn't really have that personal relationship. Um, ended up getting married uh to my husband when I was 21 years old, and he was 30. So there's a little bit of an age difference between us. Um, and that's a whole other fun story. Um, but getting married at such a young age, uh this is a blessing, but there also comes a lot of different challenges with it. And I am not your um traditional person per se. I, you know, I graduated college in three years. I um then got married two weeks later. Um I skipped part of my senior year so I could work, so I could have, you know, move out on my own when I was just 18. So like I just I do things my own way. And um, and God God knew that that was just something he's like, okay, I'm gonna give you this gift of uh having a partner for life. And it's not going to be easy, but it's certainly going to sharpen you, and you're gonna sharpen each other. And so um marriage um is hard. And I uh definitely it was right. I it came to a point in our marriage where we the the talk of divorce was on the table. Um and we didn't have kids yet. We actually waited five, we were married for five years before we had kids. And um, so when divorce is on the table and there's literally we could part our separate ways, and there's nothing like I I could say, see ya, and I never have to, you know, be with you again and um or have any ties to you for the rest of my life, you know, unlike divorce when when you have kids. And um, God just said, Nope, not gonna happen. That's not what I want for you. And um, that's a really hard thing to hear when you're like, but God, this situation is so um not that I was I was young and selfish, and you know, I didn't know what a I didn't know what a godly wife was and how that they should um act early on. And so, but that was the first time that where I really I spent days on my knees and just like, okay, God, if this is where you want me, you're gonna have to get me through this. Like, you are going to have to. And he spent that entire time working on me and my heart. Um, and that is really where I my personal relationship with Jesus came. Um, and so through my marriage, um, you know, we overcame that season. Uh, we have two beautiful girls. Uh, they're 17 months apart. I say it's like having twins, but not getting credit for it. Um, and um, but again, after our second daughter was born, there came another time uh where it was just tough. And um, it was actually right before, because I'm I'm a Texas girl, it was right before Andrew and I moved up here. He had gotten the job offer. And to be completely honest, um I felt fairly my greatest fear was he's gonna move us up here, me and the girls, and then uh wait six months and then divorce me. And he uh totally, and again, this is uh we're both very much um responsible. We both take credit for for the things that it had been going on. And so, and I told him that. I said, This is you've got the great job opportunity in Kansas, and I'm afraid that you're just gonna wait and then divorce me, and then I'm gonna be stuck and not know anyone, not have any family up there. Um, because we were in Dallas, and my parents were in Dallas, and his parents were in Dallas, and so um, and he goes, Yeah, I thought about that. And I was like, Cool. Yeah. Um, and so, but what God does, what only God can do. And um, he accepted the job and started working in Kansas City in July of 2017, and we made the decision that we wouldn't sell the house until um we had found a house in Kansas City. And so we lived like divorced people do, uh, for about four or five months. And so he would fly up to Kansas City, he'd work for the week, and then he'd come back Friday night and then fly out again Monday morning, or we would meet him halfway in Oklahoma and on the weekends and do like a little Oklahoma city, you know, couple days in Oklahoma. And then, but when you're living separate lives and living like, hey, you get the kids on the weekend kind of thing, um, or I'm realizing all the things that how tough it is to be a single mom doing all the things for a gosh, three-year-old and a four-year-old at the time.

SPEAKER_01 8:51

Yeah, that's a little bit more.

SPEAKER_02 8:52

And so, yeah. And so I was like, okay. And so after in November, we closed on a house here in Kansas City, and that's when we moved up here, right around Thanksgiving. Um, but again, that was another time where God just was like, I have so much more for you, but this is exactly where I want you. Um, I just you're gonna have to rely on me on this. And again, it if it wasn't for my marriage, I wouldn't be as close to God as I am. Um, because he's used that really to bring me closer to him through every single uh season of life. And um how we say that Andrew and I just celebrated 18 years last month. So it's not it's not easy by any means. Um, but I wouldn't I wouldn't trade it for the world because I've seen God do incredible things um through through and with our marriage, and I'm just so incredibly thankful.

SPEAKER_00 9:55

Yeah, that's that's that's good. And I think that I mean, marriage is hard. Marriage is hard from you know, your perspective, someone who's gone through the rough spots. It's hard from you know, I went through the rough spots, but it ultimately ended up divorced. Um every aspect of it is hard. It's hard if you say five for it, it's hard if you don't, because the divorce affects your kids. Um, I think if you're in my situation, my kid was the one that came to me and said you need to get divorced. So obviously there was something affecting them with us being married.

SPEAKER_01 10:27

For sure.

SPEAKER_00 10:28

Um, you know, it's hard, regardless. And I would say that even just being a godly woman is hard. I'm sure being a godly man is hard. I can't speak for them. I'm not a man, don't identify not a man. Um, but I it's all hard, and so I think there's something to be said for um listening to what God tells you. I don't know that I I didn't have the relationship with God, kind of like you. I was all I've been a believer since I was seven. I got saved vacation Bible school when they were offering the little spinny um rainbow pencils if you came up front. But I never had a relationship with the Lord into the last year and a half. You know, I knew I was my my stepmom was the youth pastor at our church, so I was a PK. We were at the church if the doors were open, but I look back and I know my stepmom had time with the Lord in the morning, but we didn't do that as a family. We prayed before dinner, but we didn't pray as a family. We didn't um I don't know that any of them had except maybe my stepmom had a relationship with the Lord, and that was never really talked about or given me that example, and so I always thought I had one until recently when I really have one. I'm like, oh okay, this is what it is. Yeah, this is different. So um, yeah, so it's all hard. So, as far as what would you say is the hardest part? I've had this conversation with people, you are a very strong independent female. You agree? Yes, yes, I agree with that. I identify to that. What is the hardest part of being a godly wife as a strong independent female?

SPEAKER_02 12:23

I would say um I would say letting not letting um what's a good word for it? Watching my h husband lead um and being okay that God didn't give me that. That's good. Um there's my husband is an amazing man. He is um he's a type A person. So like we I mean, he he's one, you know, he was the youngest manager or the youngest VP. Like he has hit all the career highlights in his career, and so he's very, very successful in that. And he is so good in the like he lets me, he lets me go, I say that, but then at the same time, he's very clear on like, okay, but that's that's that's the boundary. And uh yeah, that's enough. And there were times where I was like, what? You can't tell me what to do. Like, that's not, no, I could go further. Like, but then I realized that by doing, by, by pushing that boundary, it wasn't, it wasn't good. Like, it's like, you know, like God has God is not a God, God's rule, not rules for us, but his the the prescription for life he has for us, those are things for our good. And so realizing that it's not because my husband doesn't want me to do X, Y, Z, or it's not because, you know, he just doesn't want me to do this. It because much like that authority is like, no, no, no, I'm doing this for our family. Like, you know, I one of the things that I love to do is travel. I love to travel, love to travel by myself with my husband. Um, traveling with kids is not a vacation, it's just parenting in a different city. Right. Um, and so um, but there are times where I'm like, can I do this? Can I do this? And he's like, no, like you need to be home for and it's I don't want you to miss this. Or you know, you've we've got this for the kiddos. And and while I could be like, you ruined everything, like I just want to do this, but I know at the end of the day, I'm like, no, he's that's a decision made for that's best for our family and best because like he's given that wisdom that I'm not. Yeah. So I think that's the hardest part is when you are an independent person, um, is relinquishing control. But it, you know, it's the same thing with God. Like, I say I'm gonna hand this over to you, God all the time. And then I go, but wait, let me take that back from you. Okay, hold on, wait, let me fix this really quick. And God's like, no, no, no, no, no, that's not how this works. So I think that's probably the hardest part.

SPEAKER_00 15:41

I had that conversation yesterday because um there's so many things landing on my plate right now for opportunities. And I was I had a friend like, I need you to pray for me because I'm really good at going, but this is the one I want, so I'm gonna pick it up and I'm gonna run with it. And then I find out that that's not the one that he intended for me, and then I'm like, oh now I'm in a bad spot. So I'm like, just you know, I need to really wait until I know for sure this is the plan he has for me, and this is the one we should pick up and run with, and not just going, oh, that one's shiny. Let me take that one. Yes, exactly. That looks like the fun one. I'll do that. Exactly. Um, so what as a mom in the world we live in today, what concerns you most about the direction of our country?

SPEAKER_02 16:33

I know it's a long list, but um honestly, I think that because my girls are in middle school. Um I think what concerns me most, and I I wouldn't I concerns me most is how I'm gonna prepare them for the persecution that they're going to receive that I never got. I just think that their um the the amount of uh persecution uh towards Christians is only going to increase. And while, you know, when you and I were kids in school, like and we said we're a Christian, like it, you know, everybody's like, all right, well, so is everybody else. I also grew up in Texas, so everybody and their dog was Baptist. Um and so, yeah, exactly. Yeah. And so you just kind of go, like, it was not a big deal, but now it's like, how can I prepare my girls to be like, oh, you believe in God? Like, oh, that's so stupid. That's so anti-science. And you're like, wait, that was not a question I had to answer when I was in high school. Um, that was not a position of faith that I had to defend. Um, so that that's probably the hardest part is having conversations with them of not just like these are the things, these are the values that we believe in, but here's why we believe in those. Like I knew my parents were conservative or Republicans and and you know, believed in Jesus, but I I don't know that I knew why, you know, like that was just part of it. So now it's like I I need to tell my kids, explain to them why, but without burning making it a burden for them to be like, oh my gosh. But at the same time, I think much like marriage, uh, people have are sold a fairy tale. Like our culture is so good at going, marriage is going to be perfect, and you're gonna have this beautiful wedding and it's going to be lovely. Um I'm always called rom. Yeah. Rom com romantic comedies are porn for women. Just is. Absolutely. Because the grass is always greener. Uh, the the girl always gets the guy. I mean, it's it's awful, but you we're sold that this worked happily ever after. Um, and that you know, you go through a tough time, but then you come out stronger and it's amazing, and everything after that is just gonna be like, no, like there could not be anything further from the truth. And I think too, that comes with being a Christian. And people don't whether they come, if you come in knowing finding Christ during a difficult time, I think that you're more uh more like you're used to not used to the suffering, but you you understand that suffering comes with the territory, but having Christ just makes it bearable.

SPEAKER_01 19:50

Right.

SPEAKER_02 19:51

Um, but if you've been a Christian, you know, you came to know Christ, like I I was like, take this away from me, take this away from me. Like I don't, I don't want this. Like I don't want this suffering. God was like, no, no, no, this is going, this is how I'm going to sharpen you. This is how, this is how this works. Um, and I I worry that the Christians today, and I don't want my girls to ever think that, like, oh, because I follow Christ, life is going to be this easy roller coaster. It's like, no, no, no. Like it almost, we're putting a target on our back because it makes life harder, actually.

SPEAKER_00 20:27

It does, but then also in the same sense of when you're not living your life the way God intended, or you're not making godly choices, or you're living your own, you know, I did it my way for 52 years. Yeah. But then at some point you have to look back and yeah, there was suffering because he was trying to get me back on the, you know, I always say he puts bumpers out. And if we're paying attention, we hit the bumper and we go, oops, nope, that's not it. And we correct quickly. If we're not paying attention, we go over the bumpers, and there's somebody else's lane doing stuff we shouldn't be doing. And he's got to figure out a way to get us back into our lane with our bumpers, right? So yeah, the farther you stray from your bumpers, the harder it is to get you back. And so even on this, some of the things that I've had to go through since I've really been walking with the Lord, they're not easy, but I'm not a train wreck. Yeah. Because now you go, okay, Lord, apparently I'm off track. So how where do I go? Where how do I get, you know, how do I what is recalculate?

SPEAKER_02 21:27

Right.

SPEAKER_00 21:28

If you don't have that, then it's different.

SPEAKER_02 21:31

And I I have such a great appreciation now for the book of Job, um, because Job was a righteous man. He had done everything right, he had done absolutely everything like right. He had um and and the enemy just was like, I bet I can make make you cur him curse you. And God was like, try it. You can do anything except kill him. Yep. And the enemy did. And uh and Job never ended up cursing God. Um, the enemy took everything away from him. Um, and you know, his his friends, you know, who thought that were giving, like, clearly you did something to deserve this. Clearly, this is because you're you're on the wrong path. Clearly, because you you've, you know, something, there's something that you need to repent for. And like, then God rebuked all of them and was like, no, all of you are wrong. He did everything. Like, you guys are absolutely this. Like, do you know what I have planned? Absolutely not. Um, and so I just I I try to remind myself that um there there will be suffering, um, tribulations. There, there will be tough times, but um, it's not always because of a poor decision I make or a misdirection. Um, it's partly, you know, it's just we live in a fallen world, and that's where we're at. And it's, you know, my job to just respond.

SPEAKER_00 23:10

Yeah. I I think I think that's actually a good transition into any anyone that knows Tori knows where she stands politically. And I have not gone. I don't know what you're talking about as I'm wearing my she's covered in Trump Vance, I know, red, white, blue. Have you seen my sneakers? Look at these that I painted. I love them. I'm a always decked out very clearly with her stance. And so um, like I said, I have not really I've not gotten political on this podcast. It's not something I plan on doing consistently. However, I felt like if I was gonna go there, Tori was gonna have to be the one to take us there. So um bear with us if you don't agree, but maybe have an open mind as to what um we're not trying to you know convert you or anything, but what the what's said. But with that being said, one what led you to the political stance that you take today? I know you said your parents were both were Republican and you grew up in Texas, it's kind of a it's kind of a given.

SPEAKER_02 24:20

But at the time it was now Texas is you know, where I live, North Dallas was is now more purple than anything else, but unfortunately. Yeah. Um what led me to this stance? Uh like I said, I knew my parents were conservative. Uh I I was always like I I knew basic things like, you know, I knew Second Amendment, you know, we're big advocates of that. Uh the the freedom of speech um and pro-life, very pro-life. Um and so those were those were like the key things. But my parents were also small business, are small business owners too. Um, and so having two entrepreneurs as parents, like there's that financial side when you get older, you realize like, no, I don't want more of my money going to the government. And no, I so it's but I really it's probably the been since uh 2020, since most, uh, since I have really learned and absorbed a lot. Um, I think that really lifted the veil over my eyes, going, you know, like, yes, what goes on in my home is my is my domain. Um, but but what goes on in my community, what goes on in my state, um, and what goes on in my country is also part of my responsibility. It's not all of my responsibility, but I it's certainly part of it. And so to be educated and to know what was going on, um, that I just, you know, jumped in and just started having conversations and figuring that out um as culture and things progressed with 2020.

SPEAKER_00 26:22

That is yes. Um, I'm I'm I'm being cautious with that. Um do you do you feel like this this open stance has cost you business, cost you friendships? Do you think people take it that far?

SPEAKER_02 26:44

I absolutely do think people take take it that far. Um so something about me, so um 2020, Trump was already in office. Um, the whole COVID thing was going on, and um about six months into COVID, um we were seeing we were doing our own research and finding out that masks no do not in fact work. The vaccines, you know, were not guaranteeing that you weren't gonna get COVID. Um, that um my husband's job was threatened um if he did not get the vaccine. And that led us down an entire different path. Uh, you know, so and things like, you know, watching the news and people telling, you know, saying, well, if you're not vaccinated, you shouldn't be allowed to be admitted into the hospital. I mean, then that is just like mind-boggling that, you know, that people were taking things that far. Um, but going into the next presidency, um, Biden, here's my here's my stance. Did I uh did I vote for Biden? No. Okay. But I will say this, he was my president. I respect the office. That's something that people don't do enough anymore. Um, respect the office and respect the position. I did not like Biden, I did not like his policies, and did not like what he did for our country. But I respect the office. Um, and I respected the office when Obama was also. Uh, did he did I vote for him? No. But I respect the office. Um, and so that's part of that. But um the I I started wearing my uh my Make America Great Again uh button. I had one, I have one big red button and I would wear it on my purse, and I would wear it uh like a crossbody. And I wore it uh starting in 2022. Uh I I wore it every day. Uh I would wear, I have Trump hats, I have Make America Great Again hats. I I wear them all the time. Here's what's fascinating. Um, the more that I wore it, people would whisper to me. I kid you not whisper as if like they were saying something wrong. They were like, hey, I like your button, or hey, I like your hat. And I'd be like, oh, thanks. Thanks so much. I appreciate it. And they're like, man, that's so brave for you to wear. And I'm like, is it? Huh? I'm like, what? What do you mean? And they're like, man, you must get, you must get hate. Like, do people say anything to you? And in all honesty, again, I and I still do. I still wear the make America, the patriotic stuff, the America stuff all the time. I have never once in the last, gosh, so now it's been the last four years, no one's ever said anything negative to me. Not once. And I am not a I'm not a big woman. I'm five foot two. Um, I I do, I have color in my hair. So there are times you and I both know a person in particular who when I was wearing a business outfit, he was like, I didn't think I was going to like you because the color in your color in your hair makes people think that you're of a certain demographic. Um, and uh, but I've never had anything anyone ever say anything mean to me, negative to me. Now, dirty looks I've gotten. I get dirty looks. Um, but what I find is one, it opens up the door for conversations. Two, um, I can tell very quickly if somebody reacts to it. And like, let's say it's a customer, like I'm in the grocery store and it's the clerk who sees my button or whatever, and I can see that they're just kind of uh I'm like, how's your day? And I am just extra out there and asking them. And because then to me, it makes them like I want them to walk and go and go, oh, hmm. All right, well, maybe not all. Yeah, she was actually nice. Whether they've ever had an, you know, if they've had a negative reaction with somebody else, fine. But then, but they can't say that about me.

SPEAKER_00 31:25

Right. Um, but I also wear the stuff has convinced them that anyone that likes Trump is a troll-hating mean person under a bridge.

SPEAKER_02 31:36

Yes, and that we're Nazis and that we're racists and that we're white supremacists, uh, and all the things. Um, and that's just simply not true. Um, but I also wear this stuff, and when people tell me like, oh, I like your hat, or like this, I I try to get encourage them, you can wear it too. Like they're because people are scared. Um, they're scared to wear something because they're, you know, God forbid somebody's going to ask them a question or, you know, but I I find that the people they they're not the same person that they were online. They may write a ton of hateful comments online, but you stand in front of them wearing your political uh affiliation and they can't say anything because that's just not they they they don't have the the ability to have a conversation or to say anything.

SPEAKER_00 32:32

Yeah. And I think it's crazy how you know, for for my political part of it, I grew up thinking I was a Democrat because my mom told me every time there was an election that I was a Democrat to go vote for the Democrat. And then when my mom passed away, the first election, I was watching and paying attention, and I'm like, wait a minute. I don't think I'm a Democrat. Yeah. Let me let me go a little deeper into this because I'm like, this doesn't align with my beliefs. I, you know, it's just my mom is very political, and she just I don't know that I had an option to be anything other than what she was. And I've had people when I voted for Trump, people in my family said your mom would be so disappointed. And I just thought, you know, I know you meant that to hurt me, but I mean, what's she gonna do? Right. Because my mom has passed. So um I think the thing that drives okay, so let me let me get your your take on this. So people will say, you know, how can you like Trump?

SPEAKER_01 33:34

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00 33:35

But the things that he says, and then so how can you like Trump? So for me, I try to explain it's not that I like I don't want to go hang out with him. I don't think he's a you know a good godly man that I want to spend my time with.

SPEAKER_02 33:47

However, I'm attached, two things. One, I say I'm attached not to people, but I'm or uh to a politician, I'm attached to results. Right. So when that how do you like Trump? Well, I I can tell you why. Uh, he has reduced the federal employee load by over close to half a million. Uh, and since I'm a fan of smaller government and not paying more of my hard-earned money into the government, he's really reducing the tax load. He's closed the border, um, which makes my two daughters who are safer because they're not people who are trying to, you know, um with human trafficking. Um there's I mean, the the and I really could. I could I could list a ton of the things that he has done well. Um, and he's made some mistakes. I has he done everything that I have loved? Absolutely not. He's not perfect, but then also I'm not perfect. But then also I like to ask people are like, well, how can you support Trump? And they're like, Well, what's I ask, okay, how can I support Trump? What has he done? Why why don't you like Trump? Well, he's a racist. Okay. What has he said that's racist? Well, well, well, he said that what? Oh, oh, you no, you don't actually have an example. You just are repeating something that you've heard on you know media. Yeah, but you don't actually have any, you don't have actually an example. Okay, okay. Oh, he's a white supremacist. Okay. What what did he say? Or what has he done to show that he's a white supremacist? No, you don't actually have anything. That's just a talking point that you repeated. Okay, okay. So why, oh, well, you're a woman who's for Trump. How could you how could you possibly feel okay? What about Trump? It's like um, well, that whole you mean that whole case that was absolutely dropped and was found to be have no bearing whatsoever? Or you mean the con the comments that he's made about women that uh you know that men talk about in the locker room?

SPEAKER_00 36:17

Like I'm that women talk about it at wine night. Let's be clear. Women are very inappropriate, just in case y'all don't know, women get together for wine night, they're very inappropriate. Yes, moving moving on, right?

SPEAKER_02 36:32

I we just don't have we just didn't have a microphone in front of us, right? Um, or you know, thank god we didn't have social media. Uh when, you know, so like to to think that okay, so he said some comments to a radio host, like, yeah, okay, I I guarantee you half of the 95% of the NFL has done it too.

SPEAKER_00 36:57

So everywhere, they're just no one and no other person is being under a microscope like him, they're just looking for something all the time. Does he give it to them? Usually, should they take his phone away? Probably, however, is he doing the job that we hired him to do?

SPEAKER_02 37:15

Yes, and I agree with that, but I also think that he's successful because of who he is.

SPEAKER_00 37:25

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 37:27

And again, uh as a small business owner, as a person who's grown, like there to run a business, to run a business, to be successful in the business world, you've there are times you've got to act like a shark. You just do. And so all of these people that think that like, oh, you shouldn't, he shouldn't talk like that, and he shouldn't. Well, but why I'm just wondering like why why you would say that because this is not this is not corporate America. You know, like you don't get a prize for being the nicest guy out there. Um, I am very proud to say that America, the United States of America, is the greatest country on earth. I will debate that all day long um with anybody who asks. Um, and he's and he knows it. Trump knows it, and he's proud of it, and and he'll say it. Um and so you can be mad at him all you want, um, but he backs it up. Uh, so I just, you know, again, does he say stupid crap? Yes. Do I say stupid crap?

SPEAKER_01 38:41

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 38:42

No, I mean, yeah. Um, just talk to my husband after that, and he'll tell you, he'll be like, Tori.

SPEAKER_00 38:50

Wait, wait, let me back up. I've listened to your podcast. Maybe. Yeah. Exactly. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 38:56

Uh-huh. Uh-huh. But that's it. Like, people, you they want to hold him up to this standard. I'm like, no, he's no more, you know, he's human just like you and I are. Um, and I'm not going to say that, you know, I'm a firm believer that you have peace through strength. So to say that you're going to bomb the heck out of Iran and take them down, um, and to say that the day after Easter or whatever he said, um, you know, I'm sorry that it, I was like, that doesn't their words. It was a social media, like, that doesn't bother me. I also know like the situation, like, if you don't know in context what Iran has done to the American United States of America since like the 70s, um, then no, you don't get to just say, oh, he said a mean tweet. No. I well, you know, and that's crazy.

SPEAKER_00 39:56

I'll say this and then we'll get off the political part and go back to the God part. But do you do you believe that a lot of people are just talking, they have nothing, they have no knowledge to back up what they say. They just get on the bandwagon or whatever the current post is and go with it. Yes. Yeah, I think because I'll tell people I'm not gonna talk politics with you because I don't know enough. You know, that's enough. I don't know enough. That's having invested the time to dig deep to actually be able to argue with you. So I'm not going to, and people are just, I mean, yes, to the point on a dating app, people were like, if if you like Trump, just swipe. Okay, well, thanks for saving me the time. But is that what our world has come to? We can't even have different opinions.

SPEAKER_02 40:40

And right, which is stupid. Um, but I would encourage you is that have the con like if somebody wants to argue about it, there you're not, there's it's going to be an argument, it's not going to be a discussion. However, the people that like genuinely are asking or like, I just don't understand how you can have this opinion and da-da-da-da-da. And um, yeah, you may not know enough, and that's okay. But have the conversation anyway. Um, and and half the time I think conversations just need to be asking questions. Um, because the person is just like, well, I don't understand how you don't, you know, well, how Trump's Trump's a racist. Why do you say that? Well, he said that there were five people on both sides. Yeah, but have you heard the whole clip? Yeah, he was talking like that has been debunked.

SPEAKER_00 41:38

But it's just little pieces that slip out that people just run with it and it's not even backed.

SPEAKER_02 41:43

Exactly. It's a it's a headline society. Nobody's reading, reading the actual articles, although the articles, you know, half the time you read a headline, you read the article, and it has nothing, it's the complete opposite of what you thought the article was going to be. It's just like, well, he did this, and you're like, no, he did. Like that, you didn't even report on that.

SPEAKER_00 42:05

Um, well, and I think it's not even it's not even just politics. I mean, just for example, the the Super Bowl halftime show. Everyone was in an uproar because, well, why is there even an alternative? Why shouldn't there be? I mean, and if you didn't want to watch the regular one, you're racist. Okay. No, if they had told me that some uh disturbed was gonna be playing the halftime show, I wouldn't have watched it either. I'm pretty sure they're all white. I don't know. I saw them in concert once, but um, but it has nothing to do with race. If I'm gonna first of all, I didn't watch the Super Bowl at all because we don't, I mean the Chiefs weren't it, so why would I? But I would have watched the alternative anyway because it's the music that I listened to.

unknown 42:54

Right.

SPEAKER_00 42:54

But anyone that chose the option of doing something else, it became this big thing about how we were racist.

SPEAKER_02 43:02

Well, so here's on the flip side. We just, you know, flag flag day was yesterday, and there was a in celebration of America's 250th, um, there was a UFC fight on the White House South Lawn.

unknown 43:15

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 43:16

Something little thing about this already this morning.

SPEAKER_02 43:19

Um there was an alternative. The left hosted an alternative thing with Bette Midler and some uh and another group of people. Okay, I'm not mad. Right. Like, I all right. So you wanted to watch something else. That's fine. I don't care. Don't, you know, like choices, right? We all have to um I just you know, it just blows my mind that like that we pigeon that the society now is you've pigeonholed people that if you don't agree with me that you're an evil person. No, that's not true. Um, and I I find typically, typically, this is people on the left think that conservatives are evil. People on the right think that the left has evil ideas. Now, the more the more that the left is destroying themselves and saying things, you know, just the more the more I am coming to realize that there are evil individuals among the left. But I, you know, for those that just have leftist ideas, I don't care. Like you're still a person to me. Like, you know, like I can have a conversation with you. I'm a person that gets in the Uber. Um it's so my favorite thing to do. Um I especially, especially the year the 2024, was um, so who'd you vote for? And the Uber driver typically goes, Wait, what? And I go, you know, we can talk about who you voted for, or we can talk about Jesus. I'm good either way. So which way do you want to go? Nine times out of 10, they wanted to talk about who I voted for or who they voted for. So we have conversations about that, which I think is funny, that that's an easier conversation than Jesus, but that's a whole other conversation. But it's just like, but I, you know, I I want people to talk about it. I want people to have conversations. And in order to do that, I have to be willing to open my mouth myself. Um, and in order to get um in order to know how people, what people believe, um, I have to know the topics. So I, yes, I listen to some political podcasts, um, I listen to sermons, I listen to true crime, all the things. Um, but I also find out where people are, you know, what the other side is saying. Um, because if I don't know what they're saying, then I don't know what, you know, like I'm checking my own resources. You know, you you do have to check and go, well, wait, hold on. So-and-so is saying this, especially now. I mean, the fact that um it's been such a good example of there have been a lot of conservatives who back Trump, who no longer back Trump and say that, you know, he's anti-Israel or whatever. And these are individuals that I pay for good money to go see, you know, discuss and things like that. Um, but it goes back to like, holy crap, like you can't just blindly believe in people. Like, you just can't, because all of a sudden they start talking crazy, you know, Tucker, Megan Kelly, Candace Owens, you're like, holy crap, where did all of this come from? Um, and so again, it's just you have to do your own research and to go, okay, like I different sources here, different sources there. Um, and just not blindly trust a person anymore. You just can't.

SPEAKER_00 47:12

Yeah. So as we kind of wrap up here, what would you say is one misconception that people have about you?

SPEAKER_02 47:23

One misconception that they have about me. Um you're gonna see my girls here in a second. I'm yes, I'm recording on a podcast. Sorry, I'm missing. Um I would say that they um that I'm not scared. That I think that's probably it. They're like, oh, I could never do I I could I could never wear that button or out of that. I can't, I could never, you know, um say what you say or whatever or have that conversation when in all reality it's like sure you can. Sure you can, because I I do it all the time. And again, I don't know everything. I and I didn't know everything from the beginning, but it's because I had conversations and I was listening to things. I mean, so yeah, I you you can you can wear the button and um and have the conversations even though you don't know any everything, and and you can do it scared anyways. Um and that's part of it where I just pray, I'm like, okay, God, use your let the Holy Spirit speak for me because uh Lord not you know that I can't say anything good. Um so it's just um yeah, I think that that would be I think that's the biggest mis that they're like, oh well you're just you you just do that. I'm like, no, this was not always me. This this wasn't me at all, actually. Um, five years ago.

SPEAKER_00 49:00

So tell us, I know talk, tell about the name of your podcast, where people can find you, because your podcast is amazing.

SPEAKER_02 49:07

Oh, well, thank you. Um our pod my I co-host a podcast called The Unlikely Housewives, bringing hope, light, and humor to motherhood and marriage. Uh, it's real talk for worn-out Christian women. Um, but we talk about all sorts of things. Uh, we um we started it out of COVID um because a lot of it was just like, I'm, you know, we were discussing things and we're like, oh, I feel this way. Like, you feel the way like we can't be, surely we can't be the only ones. And um, God has just done incredible things for our podcast, and um so incredibly thankful. But that's unlikely housewives. You can find that on all podcast platforms. And we also do video on YouTube and Rumble.

SPEAKER_00 49:50

Awesome. And for the local people, the local listeners, what is your local business?

SPEAKER_02 49:56

Um, my local business is Shawnee Copy Center. It is a print shop in Shawnee. Um, but then also I have much like you, starting new ventures and things like that. Um, I have a new venture of uh a Patriot collection of shirts and hats that I am loving. And so you can find that at crazyface mama.myshopify.com. And so if you want to wear something red, white, and blue, I think it's a color scheme that works for everybody.

SPEAKER_00 50:29

It does. It's on the color wheel for everyone. It is, it is, it is so. I want to just thank you. I want to thank you for I wanted to have you on, I wanted to have you on the last one, and that didn't work out timing-wise. We're both just crazy busy. And so I want to thank you for coming on this one, which I think is actually a better fit than the last one anyway. So um keep doing what you're doing. I I follow you on, you know, Facebook and I see all the your trips and all the things that you're doing, and I just um I do think that there's a lot of misconceptions because people judge you by what you wear, but don't don't ever let that stop you. And I feel sorry for them for not getting to know the amazing person that you are.

SPEAKER_02 51:09

Well, thank you. I greatly appreciate that. And I just wanted to tell you um that your your obedience, you're a person that gets up and does goes, this this wasn't it. Okay, I'll do, you know, what what do you want me to do now, God? And that is so admirable. And not many people will do that. There are a lot of lot of people that just sit and sit on the floor and cry and go, well, fine God, if you're not, if this isn't what it's going to be. Um, but that's not who you are. Uh your obedience is blessing others, and it is and because of that, um, he's blessing you. So I just want to say thank you for your obedience to God, because it does, it blesses the rest of us around you.

SPEAKER_00 52:04

Thank you, friend.

SPEAKER_02 52:05

You're welcome.

SPEAKER_00 52:06

You have the rest of the most amazing week.

SPEAKER_02 52:10

You too.

SPEAKER_00 52:11

All right, bye-bye. Bye.