Be Still and Know - How to Desensitize Your Life from Anxiety and Fear | Ep. 24 with Ali Gentry
Do you find yourself struggling with fear, anxiety, or depression? Is the idea of overcoming it overwhelming and difficult to navigate? You are not alone!
Ali Gentry- a national speaker, radio host, and adventurist- joins us to explain how to desensitize our lives and start living a life of peace.
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Transcript
Host
You're listening to the No Gray Areas podcast with Patrick McCalla. Today's guest is Allie Gentry, national speaker, radio host and adventurist. She shows us how to desensitize our lives and start living a life of peace. Let's dove in.
::Patrick McCalla
Allie Gentry, thank you so much for being on the No Gray Areas podcast. I think we met a couple of weeks ago or maybe two months ago, right? Mutual friend.
::Ali Gentry
Patty Wyatt. She's also been on here. Yep.
::Patrick McCalla
Well, yeah, you were on her podcast recently, and she was on our podcast and I was on her podcast. So yeah, we're just we're all trading podcast.
::Ali Gentry
I love it. I love it.
::Patrick McCalla
But yeah.
::Ali Gentry
Hear.
::Patrick McCalla
Connected with you right away because you're your national speaker, right? You do a lot of you. You speak at your church often as well. You have a podcast as well. Tell us more.
::Ali Gentry
Yeah, I get to do a little bit of a lot of things. And but.
::Ali Gentry
Yeah, I have a radio show podcast here in Arizona, and the podcast is also on YouTube now called the Vibrant Life Show.
::Ali Gentry
OK and.
::Ali Gentry
Got the honor of doing that. Started it last June or so. And then I also run a an event, a monthly event called Arise, which is here in Phenix. Women from all over the city, different denominations, backgrounds, everything.
::Ali Gentry
We come together once a month and worship and spend time together, and we have speakers, panels, all that stuff, which is so exciting. And yeah, run a nonprofit called Vibrant Ministries, too. So it's been a blast.
::Patrick McCalla
You don't get for it.
::Ali Gentry
I do sometimes, like I say, if you're going to be single this late in life, you better find some awesome and fun stuff to do. You've got to fill the time lord.
::Patrick McCalla
Well, and you actually are part owner of a of a franchise that some people may have heard of, right? Tell us about that.
::Ali Gentry
It's a little football team called the Green Bay Packers. Yeah. Yes.
::Patrick McCalla
Sorry about what happened recently. That was heartbreaking for her.
::Ali Gentry
Yeah, it still hurts.
::Ali Gentry
I mean, it just was really tough to watch them not play.
::Ali Gentry
Well and lose. Yeah. And so but yeah, I'm a I'm as a part owner of the franchise now that I can finally say it's a little bit harder to take. But yes.
::Patrick McCalla
When I sent you that email about this podcast, I started the email. I'm so sorry.
::Ali Gentry
So sorry.
::Patrick McCalla
Because I knew you were a big Bay Packers fan, so.
::Ali Gentry
Appreciate the condolences. Yes, I'm still in mourning, but.
::Patrick McCalla
But when you say part owner, some people, some people might be confused by that. So explain that.
::Ali Gentry
Okay, here's the deal. Yeah, you can buy stock in the Green Bay Packers for not a lot of money.
::Patrick McCalla
So you're not a billionaire.
::Ali Gentry
So I'm, you know, not a billionaire. It's not this huge thing really green. The Green Bay Packers are the only.
::Ali Gentry
Team in the NFL that operates this way, and people are able just.
::Ali Gentry
Anybody.
::Ali Gentry
Can buy stock in it for a certain amount of time until they're bought up and then they reopen it years later. Really, we don't have any say in it.
::Ali Gentry
We get to vote one time of year on stadium maintenance, and that's basically it. But we do it just for the bragging rights of, I mean.
::Patrick McCalla
What other what other fan gets to say. I'm part owner of my team.
::Ali Gentry
Truly, no.
::Ali Gentry
Other team can.
::Ali Gentry
Yeah. So that's.
::Patrick McCalla
That's impressive. Yeah. Well, today we're going to talk about anxiety and depression, and it's something that many humans have always struggled with this. But but because of what's been happening in our world, I think because young people, it's unprecedented what they're dealing with.
::Patrick McCalla
I mean, growing up has always been difficult, right? Those teenage years, middle school junior high girls are the most cruel people on this planet to each other, right?
::Ali Gentry
I can attest to that. Yes.
::Patrick McCalla
And it's always been that way. But now there's just another level because of social media and everything. So this is something that we're really seeing in an unprecedented way. Right? You're seeing it. Yes.
::Ali Gentry
And yeah, and so I really.
::Ali Gentry
Believe that our social media, our access to information, actually, it's not just social media, but I would say television news has changed. It's 24-7. We have the internet. We have access to so much information and more information than our brains have to truly digest and understand or even feel and empathize.
::Patrick McCalla
And most of that information isn't really good information, right? Like most of the news we're getting isn't what someone did on the other side of the world. That was good. It's a tsunami killed this many people. This serial killer is right.
::Patrick McCalla
That's the kind of news we're ingesting.
::Ali Gentry
It's very much fear based or pain based event. And I think that that fear is what's driving the clicks or the big stories are what get more clicks and OK, this person help this person on the other side of the world.
::Ali Gentry
And I understand to some extent why it does, and our hearts will break for certain things that are going on. And you know, it's beautiful to be able to come alongside people around the world who are going through things now if we see it and in our very particular and how much we're digesting of it.
::Ali Gentry
And I think what's also happening at the same time is we can't digest all of.
::Ali Gentry
The.
::Ali Gentry
Hard and tough and painful things we're seeing and.
::Ali Gentry
The people who are, you know, just.
::Ali Gentry
Whether it's politics or, you know, things that are happening around the world are just awful. We don't know how to necessarily explain it, but I. Think that we're losing empathy because we can't actually feel all the things that we're designed to feel in that moment because it's onto the next.
::Ali Gentry
And so we're we're almost having to tune out and numb out, but we're not created to live a life that's numbed.
::Patrick McCalla
We almost lose our compassion and empathy toward, you know, hearing about a, you know, a mother that lost a child or something. But we've heard so many bad things today that we almost just just for self-preservation have to have to almost, you know, ignore some of that, right?
::Patrick McCalla
So what you're.
::Ali Gentry
Saying, yeah.
::Ali Gentry
You get into a self-protective mode. And I think to some extent, that's the.
::Ali Gentry
We have to to make it or else we would be just distraught all.
::Ali Gentry
The time. But you know, at the same time, I mean, Paul, in scripture, I mean, because of the more knowledge he had and he saw the suffering, the more that he mourned with them and he cried with them.
::Ali Gentry
But he also had joy said, to take joy in your suffering. So because you know that this is not your home, and I think if we could see those situations and if we have an eternal mindset like we do in faith and we're like, OK.
::Ali Gentry
This world is not our home.
::Ali Gentry
We actually have a hope that's beyond what we're seeing with our own eyes, then we can take joy that one day.
::Ali Gentry
Yeah, every year. Well, we wiped away.
::Ali Gentry
All of this. There will be no pain. There will be no suffering any longer. And if we can hold on to that, then it'll give us that drive to tell other people about the hope and the joy that we have when it would make no sense.
::Ali Gentry
Yeah. And so as believers, especially, but I think in general, we are living in such a fear based society that we don't even know how to handle it. And so we're shutting down and we're isolating instead of engaging in our lives.
::Ali Gentry
And when we isolate, that's when a lot of times as we're in that depression and anxiety come in because we'll isolate from the people in the community that we're called to instead of just like a little community that used to.
::Ali Gentry
Be before we got all.
::Ali Gentry
Of this information. Now our communities.
::Ali Gentry
Are expanded around the world.
::Ali Gentry
And what happens in that, too is we're getting desensitized and we're being overwhelmed.
::Patrick McCalla
Boy, that's a key word, right there. Isn't it desensitized? Like, that's a key word, isn't it? Yeah. You know, you know, as you're talking, I was thinking, I've never thought of this until you were just saying this, that we've become almost like first responders.
::Patrick McCalla
Like, we've always known that first responders have have to deal with things and they and they have to almost protect themselves in the moment. They can't sit down like they're in a they're called to a scene and maybe there's a little child that was hurt or killed and and they can't, like, sit down and feel the empathy
::Patrick McCalla
and weep at that moment. And so they have to cover that up. But what we've known, it's been proven through studies that that eventually comes out and in unhealthy ways, and they have the PTSD and all that. But what you're bringing up is that because of all the social media and the news and the fear based, we're
::Patrick McCalla
almost all in that area now.
::Ali Gentry
And then when do we have time to work through? It comes out later in some way, but we're still being fed every day, all of these things. And then and then you add in social media with comparison to other people's lives that other people didn't have.
::Ali Gentry
The the access to what other people's lives always looked like. Supposedly quote air quotes. Yeah.
::Ali Gentry
And so in that we're adding in comparison, which adds on to the anxiety, but we are being desensitized because we we don't know when to process all of this information, and it's coming out through ways. I think that none of us really enjoy, but we also don't know what to do.
::Ali Gentry
Yeah, yeah. And so I've just seen the especially in young people, and I have the honor and privilege of speaking to so many youth groups or university age college-age young adults who are walking through this right now, who don't know life without technology in their hands.
::Ali Gentry
Like I gratefully and the side of a millennial where I remember life before.
::Ali Gentry
Having technology in front of me and all this information.
::Patrick McCalla
But but you still you still had the wireless telephone, didn't you like you had your little antenna that they bought, right? Yes. See, I remember the telephone that was hooked to the wall cord. Yeah, and it was rotary dial.
::Ali Gentry
That's how oh, my goodness.
::Patrick McCalla
Oh yes. Yes, I can't believe. I know, I know. It's it's it's it's hard to imagine that we had, but we're talking about just a couple of generations we went from, like literally I turned 50 this year, so I just turned 50.
::Patrick McCalla
And I remember growing up rotary telephone multiple, you had to pick it up because it's a party line and you have to listen to Steve when he was. You don't even know what I'm talking about.
::Ali Gentry
But then heard about this before.
::Patrick McCalla
But she thought it was like 18 hundred. No, it wasn't. It was like the early eighties. And then we went to, you know, well, then you had a phone, but you could walk around the house with it to now like these younger generations, what you're saying, they're growing up and they don't know anything different than be able
::Patrick McCalla
to get news from around the world constantly comparison. Most of it's Fear-Based. So that's where they're dealing with stuff that's really unprecedented.
::Ali Gentry
I would also say, yes, absolutely. And it's fear based, or they're trying to pinpoint some an insecurity in.
::Ali Gentry
Them.
::Ali Gentry
To get them to purchase, to buy marketing. Marketing goes at your insecurities because that's why it makes it. Not all marketing, but do you know what I'm saying in exact instance where it's like, OK, well, you want this, you want to be more like.
::Ali Gentry
And so this it's this.
::Ali Gentry
Poll to feel like where you.
::Ali Gentry
Are is not enough, who you are is not enough. And yeah, I think that God is a god of transfer. I know that God's a god of transformation. And so we're always on a journey and growth and we can improve and there's things we can do.
::Ali Gentry
But I think sometimes the world plays on our insecurities for.
::Ali Gentry
Money, for sure.
::Ali Gentry
Purposes only, and that's not in our best interest. So we have to learn how to safeguard those types of things and to be on watch for the next generations behind us. How can.
::Ali Gentry
We, as the adults in this situation right now, set up the.
::Ali Gentry
Next generation to see how technology information, all those things are amoral and of themselves? They aren't naturally necessarily bad or good, but it's how we decide to process and what we can do. So we need to help set up ourselves, first of all.
::Ali Gentry
And.
::Ali Gentry
Figure out what's going on and then set up the next generation to be healthy, to be whole and to remember that there is more to life than just staring at a screen.
::Patrick McCalla
Well, I'm glad you just brought up which you did, because you're saying, first of all, to make sure we're handling it correctly and then to reach back to the next generation because we're talking about how this this younger generation is unprecedented.
::Patrick McCalla
This is all they've known. But for me, it's not all I've known, but yet it's still what I'm dealing with. So if I'm not careful, I'm ingesting this stuff where you're saying, I just don't have the margin to deal with this.
::Patrick McCalla
I don't have the empathy to deal with this. So it's not just the young generation. We're all dealing with this now, right?
::Ali Gentry
Absolutely. And I would even say I dealt with anxiety and depression. I would say even depression. More so anxiety as I got older now that I understand kind of the difference between the two, but I dealt with depression since honestly, since at least junior high.
::Ali Gentry
Yeah. And I mean, you.
::Patrick McCalla
Didn't know that.
::Ali Gentry
At the time. I didn't. You didn't know that.
::Ali Gentry
And now it's more known so people can voice it. But I think sometimes when we just voice things without doing something with it, we're still stuck there. Yeah. And now now a lot of people can say I'm depressed or anxious because we now are.
::Ali Gentry
Like a little bit more vulnerable as a society to say those things.
::Ali Gentry
Yeah, but I didn't even understand the concept of it as a junior higher. But I've been with junior hires now who understand that concept to some extent. Now they can voice it, which is good. So what do we do with that?
::Ali Gentry
Yeah, but I do. I dealt with that for many years in and outflows of depression and bouts of anxiety, and to the point where I did not want to even be here anymore. And I was at the age of 23 where I almost took my own life and God met me in that moment.
::Ali Gentry
Like, that's the moment because I was so depressed and I was so like, There has to be more than this, but I can't see it. I can't see another way out or another option, and I can't do that.
::Ali Gentry
I can't handle this anymore. And in that moment, I remember praying and asking God, just like I knew God was real. I grew up in a church.
::Ali Gentry
A pastor's kid. So, yeah, but I had.
::Ali Gentry
Strayed from the church. I was.
::Ali Gentry
Running the complete other.
::Ali Gentry
Direction to try and find something that fill that void within me and a community that accepted me as I was. But I realized that the world doesn't. They might accept you for who you are, but they're never going to call you higher and to be more than where you are.
::Ali Gentry
The hope isn't found out in the world.
::Patrick McCalla
OK, wait, can you say that again? Yeah, say that again. That was really good. You might accept you for who you are, but they're.
::Ali Gentry
Not going to call you higher. And to be more than you are. And that hope that.
::Ali Gentry
Only I believe.
::Ali Gentry
Only because I've.
::Ali Gentry
Tried every other way to let me say that like, I have literally tried every.
::Ali Gentry
Other way to find hope, to try and find purpose, find meaning to get me out of the pit that I was in.
::Ali Gentry
Nothing. Only it only.
::Ali Gentry
Put me back. I probably dug deeper even deeper, to be honest. And I was lost and I was looking at all these people who were like, Oh, you're fine, it's OK that you're doing those things. It's OK, like and and I think it's because everybody else is there and they're like.
::Ali Gentry
Well, I want you to be OK because I want to be OK. Yeah. And so you're get into this cycle.
::Ali Gentry
Of looking around and being like, actually, there's has to be more than this. And if there's not more than this.
::Patrick McCalla
I can't do this. Yeah, there's not a lot of hope in that.
::Ali Gentry
Right? None. None.
::Ali Gentry
And I just looked around thinking, OK, and there I was, running from the church and the community that could.
::Ali Gentry
Did have hope.
::Ali Gentry
Trying to find, you know. And I realized I said, God, just take me to heaven. I just don't want to be here. You know, and I gave him an ultimatum.
::Ali Gentry
And I prayed and I said, God, by the time I count down to one, you got to take me home because.
::Ali Gentry
I can't do this. And I was I was yelling and my in my closet and just on the floor crying. And by the time I got to the number four I remember counting down out loud is so serious about it.
::Ali Gentry
And I just felt this overwhelming peace flood over me. And I remember God, yes, I just felt in on my spirit that it was. I was spoken to Ali, you know that I love you. Mm-Hmm. You know that.
::Ali Gentry
But it's time to make a choice. Either follow after me wholeheartedly. And come after me with all I have for you or go the ways of the world, just like leave my name out of it. And I know that that's hard for people to hear.
::Ali Gentry
It's what I like to call Holy Spirit truth bombs. OK?
::Ali Gentry
They hurt, but their love, you know?
::Ali Gentry
And I realize I was trying to do the dance of feet in both worlds of like.
::Patrick McCalla
And it wasn't working for.
::Ali Gentry
You know, it's exhausting and it'll break you. And it's it's like, OK, it's it's like it's time to choose what are what, what is, what is truth to me and what or who is truth, honestly? And time to make that decision.
::Ali Gentry
I think a lot of us have been in this like we're so inundated with the world all the time. And yet we're trying to have one foot into what our purpose is. But the world's like putting fear on us, and it's hard for us to move and we are feeling the weight.
::Patrick McCalla
Which only adds to the depression and anxiety, right?
::Ali Gentry
Exactly.
::Patrick McCalla
Did you did you? You got to. four advocates say that. What did you get to one?
::Ali Gentry
I did get to one.
::Ali Gentry
What for? I slowed down. I usually do a little bit more dramatic. I'm a little, as you can tell, extra sometimes. But I was dramatic always. And so thanks largely.
::Ali Gentry
For adding a little scoop of extra drama. Yes, when he made me, but I got down to one, and that's when I felt like I could finally breathe and I felt this overwhelming piece.
::Patrick McCalla
So you were asking God, I'm going to get to one and I want you to take me.
::Ali Gentry
Take me so I don't have to do it like you.
::Patrick McCalla
Wanted to die. Yeah. I mean, you get a one and interested.
::Ali Gentry
In everything, but at one.
::Patrick McCalla
You instead you feel the peace started at four.
::Ali Gentry
And then I started to come down at four. When I got to one, I was like, Oh. Hmm. I just meant Jesus.
::Ali Gentry
Hmm. Wow.
::Ali Gentry
He's he's the piece of steps into any situation. Yeah, and brings it when it doesn't make sense.
::Patrick McCalla
Yeah.
::Ali Gentry
And that's why I love it. When Jesus is risen from the dead and he walks into the upper room.
::Ali Gentry
Walks through a wall, which is pretty epic, that's pretty cool.
::Patrick McCalla
I would get your attention as speakers were always trying to get the crowd's attention. We could only want to watch.
::Ali Gentry
Yeah, I've only come on, Gloria, you pray that your doors to pray for the supernatural.
::Ali Gentry
But Jesus walks in in the first word he says, is shalom.
::Ali Gentry
Yeah, peace. Mm hmm.
::Ali Gentry
And in our world of chaos and just the depression and anxiety, when we invite Jesus into it, he's he is peace. Yeah, yeah. When it doesn't make sense and it seems like a cop out, right? It seems like, Oh, Jesus, yes, OK, that's the right thing to say.
::Ali Gentry
But I'm like, No, I've experienced this for four. And I want to say too is I believe that there's a difference between depression and anxiety.
::Patrick McCalla
Yeah, what's going to come back to that? I wanted you to explain the difference between us.
::Ali Gentry
So depression I this is me, OK? I have not. This is how.
::Ali Gentry
I distinctly distinguish the two because I actually feel like depression is like very low energy you can have. Like, it's hard for you to move. You become lethargic and just want to.
::Patrick McCalla
Sleep.
::Ali Gentry
Sleep and you don't have energy. Anxiety is like high. I feel like when I have anxiety, it's like high octane. It's like, Oh my goodness, what are we going to do? It's more frantic.
::Patrick McCalla
You can't breathe. You can't. Yeah, yeah.
::Ali Gentry
And it's like, That's so.
::Patrick McCalla
It's a whole bunch of people listening right now that are going. I felt them both.
::Ali Gentry
Which is so unique, I feel, because we're going through depression, anxiety, depression, anxiety. Oh, I can't be depressed. I have to get stuff done. And now I'm anxious because I didn't get all the stuff done and our our schedules are so full, like, how do we get everything done that we're supposed to get done?
::Ali Gentry
And depression to me is when you feel like you see no hope in the future. It's it's as if you can't see beyond your moment. And I always kind of realize when I'm because I still can struggle with this along the way.
::Ali Gentry
And I and I want to tell people, Yes, the Lord saved me, and that's what I fully gave my life over to Jesus that day when I was 23. But it has a your.
::Patrick McCalla
Depression, anxiety and just disappear just.
::Ali Gentry
Doesn't know. And in for a while I.
::Ali Gentry
Was like, Oh, freedom. And then there's.
::Ali Gentry
Another thing I have to work through because life changes, seasons change and God is growing our faith in a new and deeper way. And so I just want to tell someone, if you've ever heard the fact that if you deal with this, then you are a believer or you don't have faith.
::Ali Gentry
That's not.
::Ali Gentry
Truth.
::Ali Gentry
Because Jesus meets us in those moments and and but sometimes we need to build.
::Ali Gentry
Our faith more in those moments, I'll say that. So yes, and have people.
::Ali Gentry
Around you who can speak faith into your life and speak truth when you can't but depression. I just feel like it's where you can't see beyond. And it's almost like this fog is around your head. And like, when you try to look beyond it, you have no hope.
::Ali Gentry
You don't see a way that's different than what your experience.
::Patrick McCalla
You know, I'm picturing a scene right now is what you're talking about because, you know, we talk about valleys and mountain tops, and I'm from Montana. And in the fall, the fog will sit down in the valley. And what you're saying is when you get in those valley moments that depression time, it's like you lift your eyes
::Patrick McCalla
up, but you can't see anything. It's just fog, right?
::Ali Gentry
Right. Yeah, yeah.
::Ali Gentry
So I just want to say to Montana's.
::Ali Gentry
one of my favorite places in the world, so I love that he was born.
::Patrick McCalla
There was not a bad place.
::Ali Gentry
Not a bad place, not a bad place. And so, yeah, I.
::Ali Gentry
Do feel like it's that fog that's around us. But I feel like when you get into anxiety, yeah, anxiety is seeing a future. You can see the future, but you don't see God in it, and it's almost like it's a super control.
::Ali Gentry
And how is God going to make this work out? And my dad always jokes, he says, Well, apparently that worrying works because 90% of the things that I worry about never.
::Ali Gentry
Happen to my father. You can't see that from the stage. Yeah. Yeah. No, no. But it's so funny when he says it, because we all do that. We worry about things that truly never are going to happen. And it's not because we're worrying about them.
::Ali Gentry
It's because they're just we're.
::Ali Gentry
Worrying about this future and not playing God in the midst of like putting God in the middle of like, how are my plans going to work out?
::Patrick McCalla
But but how do you explain? So let me just jump in and ActionScript because I've struggled with anxiety for the last eight years and it just hit me. I was I was on a stage and all of a sudden I'm like, What is going on?
::Patrick McCalla
And I had to. I literally had to walk off the stage, very embarrassing in the middle of a talk and launched me and like years of just battling with this. And so I know people. And in some ways, I'm thankful for that because when I started publicly sharing that, I can't believe how many people came up and
::Patrick McCalla
said, and I struggle with this too. I struggle with this, too. The problem for us that have anxiety or struggle with it is, I know intellectually this is stupid. This doesn't make sense. This is a dumb thing to be.
::Patrick McCalla
Well, but but in that moment, you can't like logic doesn't help you.
::Ali Gentry
is near. This is Philippians: ::Ali Gentry
Anything.
::Ali Gentry
But in everything through prayer and petition. Present your request to God and the God of you. Fill you with all joy and peace. And this is this is where it's interesting because the word anxious in that scripture actually means shortness of breath.
::Ali Gentry
And he says, which.
::Patrick McCalla
Is exactly what, like anybody, the struggles, the anxiety right now is going that seriously what it means because that's exactly what happens.
::Ali Gentry
Shortness of breath? Yeah. And that's why I tell myself, Breathe girl, I just breathe because actually.
::Ali Gentry
Physiologically taking deep breaths, I'm sure you know this as.
::Patrick McCalla
Well. I've tried.
::Ali Gentry
All the health stuff like deep breathing.
::Ali Gentry
Is actually so good for our mental health and for our body's health in general. God literally made us that way. To wear that oxygen helps us think, think straight and to like it is a part of our health is actually deep breathing.
::Ali Gentry
And yet we live in an anxiety ridden world of shortness of breath. And so we can't think straight. We can't realize and. And so even in those moments, God saying no, like the peace of God again, back to the peace will transcend all understanding.
::Ali Gentry
It doesn't even make. It doesn't even make sense.
::Ali Gentry
So you're like, I'm in my head, I'm in my head. And it's actually no. The peace of God transcends all understanding, but before that, it says, Rejoice, always, the lord is near. I always think like, so you're on the stage and that's happening to you and you're getting this anxious moment.
::Ali Gentry
You're like, what? Whatever it might have caused might have caused it. Whether it's like, Why am I here what I was, I supposed to say.
::Ali Gentry
You know, some.
::Ali Gentry
People might get anxiety because their schedules are overwhelmed or whatever it might look like. And in those moments, it's like, No God placed me here in this moment, God's not shocked. And this is where again, I've tried the ways of the world and try to do it without God.
::Ali Gentry
So I keep praying and got into this and also I speak and preach. And so it's going to.
::Ali Gentry
Come out of me. You can't help, but you can't help.
::Ali Gentry
But it's it's in those moments, OK, do I trust God that I did my best? I'm doing my best and he can actually meet me in these moments. I can trust that I was here in this moment for a reason.
::Ali Gentry
I can trust that he'll give me the words to say right now, I can trust that he'll get everything done, that I'm supposed to be done on my schedule today. And if I don't get everything done, actually, he's big enough to cover that too.
::Ali Gentry
And we don't live with margin really in our lives.
::Patrick McCalla
So let me yeah, because I want to I want to pause there for a moment. Just talk about that. Because when you were talking about the shortness of breath, that that word literally means, don't be anxious for anything.
::Patrick McCalla
Don't don't be short of breath with anything. But that's that's going back to where we kind of started. Are we live in a society where you can almost picture it? We're running from one thing to another where jump in our front room and and it's almost like you almost see living that way is almost a shortness of
::Patrick McCalla
breath, right? You don't have time to stop. And but but the Bible is full of gifts that God has given us as humans to say, I want you to pause and breathe deeply, right? So so share some of.
::Ali Gentry
Those be still.
::Ali Gentry
And know that I am God. That's in some 40 stop.
::Patrick McCalla
Just stop, right? Let go.
::Ali Gentry
Yeah, I mean, from the beginning of creation, he said. Sabbath into motion like he. He didn't have to rest. God doesn't have to rest. He did it as an example for us to remember.
::Ali Gentry
And he put it within the laws of the Israelites. They had to.
::Ali Gentry
Take a seventh day, seventh year and then the 50th year of Jubilee. They weren't allowed to do anything.
::Patrick McCalla
And it wasn't supposed to be this overbearing law or rule. It was like God was saying, This is my gift to you. This is this is how you're going to be healthy.
::Ali Gentry
Yes.
::Ali Gentry
And so we.
::Patrick McCalla
Ignore that.
::Ali Gentry
Exactly because we have to go to the next saints and the next thing. And and again, that's more Western society life. So there are places in the world that don't operate to the next Saints and the next.
::Ali Gentry
Thing and but that's where we are.
::Ali Gentry
And so how do we say, no, I am not going to live in the tyranny of the urgent. I'm not going to live to where I have to go to the next thing all the time, and I actually will take a Sabbath day.
::Ali Gentry
I mean, I took it. I took one. Last Monday, I went to Sedona, which if you've never been as.
::Ali Gentry
Beautiful, oh yeah, God's country.
::Ali Gentry
And I went there, even though I had so much to do and I said, No Mondays are my Sabbath Day. I'm going to go and I'm not going to get back to emails. I got texts and I'm like, No, I can't.
::Patrick McCalla
Isn't that sometimes the most important time? Because probably realistically, you could say, I don't have time to take this. Like, literally, I don't. I can't. Yeah, which is maybe sometimes the most important time not to force yourself to do it, which is what.
::Ali Gentry
You did, right? Yes. And so putting in boundaries.
::Ali Gentry
Actually, you know what? We were going to get on a call.
::Ali Gentry
And I said, I'm sorry, I can't until Tuesday.
::Ali Gentry
I don't know if you remember that right? You removed it.
::Ali Gentry
And so I didn't explain it. I just said, I can't.
::Ali Gentry
Because some people would be like, So I was there for your sorry god first.
::Patrick McCalla
That's true.
::Ali Gentry
That's true. That's true. But that's what I was doing.
::Ali Gentry
And so I've learned that I don't even have to explain it to everyone. We are in a society that has to overexplain everything that we're doing because we share everything you know. And actually, I think we can just do it.
::Ali Gentry
And then God's going to take care of you didn't.
::Patrick McCalla
You didn't.
::Ali Gentry
Send me. We did. We had. Our phone call is great, easy, you.
::Ali Gentry
Know, and God took care of both of our timings. You were traveling and stuff. And you know, and it's trusting that if I give this time to God, if I give, I give Thursday nights to God. Almost always, I'm like, Nope, nobody, the no fly zone.
::Ali Gentry
For me, Thursday nights middle of the week, I just found rhythm. So that I can remember to breathe and that I remember that not everything depends on me.
::Patrick McCalla
So what advice would you give someone right now who is listening in there going, Man, I need to do that, I need to do that. But like, what? What advice would you give them to say to find a rhythm, a Sabbath?
::Patrick McCalla
That's a that's a churchy word. It's a it's a Bible word. It just means taking a rest, right?
::Ali Gentry
Rest start with ten minutes a day. In the middle of your day, find it lunch, if you have lunch break, maybe put your phone down and just be in eat. Just be just rest for that half an hour you get or hour or 15 minutes.
::Patrick McCalla
We're human beings, not human doings.
::Ali Gentry
Exactly.
::Patrick McCalla
Or sometimes we just need to.
::Ali Gentry
Be just Adobe.
::Ali Gentry
And then or if you can go to a coffee shop that fills you up or go on a walk, I started doing this one time when I had a very bad depression. I used to wake up in the morning, be active because depression keeps you not wanting to, or you're like, How do I do this?
::Ali Gentry
How am I going to work this? And I started waking up in the morning to get my coffee, which I'd sit there and drink my coffee. But I just went on two laps around my community walking and then I'm just like, just being filled up.
::Ali Gentry
No headphones like just quiet, like we live in such a loud world.
::Ali Gentry
And to.
::Ali Gentry
Stop. I mean, I know some people be.
::Ali Gentry
Like, Well, you're.
::Ali Gentry
Walking, you should be still.
::Ali Gentry
Be still in. No. And it's like, No, actually, they don't. But it's not about legalism.
::Ali Gentry
It's about what works for your lifestyle.
::Ali Gentry
What were through your season?
::Ali Gentry
Some seasons I could wake up and spend two hours like.
::Ali Gentry
You know, on La La Land.
::Ali Gentry
And studying and then other seasons right now. Like that doesn't. It's not realistic to I need more sleep right now. Mm-Hmm. And so I work that figure it out, and I'm single. That allows me. one of the gifts of singleness is it allows me to kind of.
::Ali Gentry
Do it maybe longer.
::Ali Gentry
Than some people can or more often, but in other ways. I think a lot of people think that because people are single, they should fill their schedules with more things because you don't have the natural boundary of family.
::Ali Gentry
Oh, you're your home with your family tonight instead of, like, why didn't you text me back? I know that.
::Ali Gentry
You write yourself at home, you know? And so it's.
::Ali Gentry
Just realizing your season. Don't put pressure and it's not legalism, it's actually freedom. So look at it as a place of if I do this, I.
::Ali Gentry
Will have.
::Ali Gentry
Freedom from it and remember that that that it doesn't all depend on you. And it's a very tactic of the enemy, I believe, to distract us, to keep us from being still to hear the voice of God in our lives if we're too distracted by our schedules.
::Ali Gentry
So some people might need to say, Sorry, kids, you're not doing 20 sports this year. Yes, sorry, that's not going to work in our schedule as a family because we're going to prioritize rest so that we aren't a people of anxiety.
::Patrick McCalla
And here's what I hear you saying. So I know, you know, when they publish books, they always leave a margin, right? Because our eyes actually can't. If they filled that page with words from one edge to the other and there was no margin.
::Patrick McCalla
We just we can't process that very well. So we they've proven we just read better if there's margin. And what you're saying is that we live in a society that ends up filling that page if you're not careful.
::Patrick McCalla
But that's we get the freedom. I like how you use that word legalism as we have the freedom to make sure that there's margin in our life. Mm-Hmm.
::Ali Gentry
Yeah. Mm-Hmm.
::Ali Gentry
And think about how different we would look from the world if we actually implemented that. Like, Oh, they're not worried. They don't have to do all of the things like the world, actually, I think is wanting a different way to do it.
::Ali Gentry
Yeah, but we actually have a way to do it.
::Patrick McCalla
So and there's there's personalities are different, right?
::Ali Gentry
Like my mind about that?
::Patrick McCalla
Well, my just going say, I can tell it like, you're a driver type. I mean, all the stuff you're doing, you're you're it's probably takes more work and effort for you to make sure that you do that. And there's other people that are wired to to go.
::Patrick McCalla
And I don't I don't need to try to win every game. I mean, I'm a I don't know if you do the anagram thing, I'm a three any agreement before. OK, yeah. Not winning. We're sinning.
::Ali Gentry
Force. Yeah. So I literally have a cup over that says all the feels in the Grand Forks over there on the counter. Yeah.
::Patrick McCalla
So I think our personality types, we probably have to work harder at that age would be another one. If anybody knows any grams, there's some. Some my wife's a nine. My wife is actually really good at this. She's always been good at this.
::Patrick McCalla
She's just she's just naturally saying, like, I'm not. I'm not going to say yes to another thing. I mean, I'm overwhelmed.
::Ali Gentry
Yes.
::Patrick McCalla
But but all of us need it.
::Ali Gentry
Well, and that's why one of the things that I love to talk to about people is how you are wired. And even with depression anxiety to that, you know, some of us have chemical physiologically.
::Ali Gentry
We are more.
::Ali Gentry
Like apt or.
::Ali Gentry
Like prone to.
::Ali Gentry
Fall into those categories. I am, and so I have to know that. So how do I defeat? How do I not defeat it? But yeah, learn how to deal.
::Ali Gentry
With it.
::Ali Gentry
And do better with it. Personality types as a four on the.
::Ali Gentry
Engram or people who can go into this whole IMO world? Yeah, I live in La La Land sometimes and like you just become.
::Ali Gentry
Wrapped up in your fields. And now that I have that as a tool.
::Ali Gentry
Like.
::Ali Gentry
You know, people talk about personality tests in any gram and all these things, I.
::Ali Gentry
Love them. I coach people through them.
::Ali Gentry
They're a tool in the toolbox.
::Ali Gentry
To help your life, to help not only love.
::Ali Gentry
Who God made you, but to so that you can love others better. It's all for other people. And when we have that, OK, then you can start to see red flags whenever you're starting to feel a certain way.
::Ali Gentry
Oh, my goodness, or put a stop on it, be like I have to dress like, No, I'm forcing myself.
::Ali Gentry
To not work today. As a three or.
::Ali Gentry
You know, those types of things and.
::Ali Gentry
When you don't work.
::Ali Gentry
I just think that they're helpful to know. Yeah, because some of us are wired one way or the other. And I believe that God has so much for each one of us, and he's created us so uniquely and I and and my my heart breaks for especially the next generation.
::Ali Gentry
But for our like, we're losing sight of purpose because we're looking for it everywhere around us and God's like, actually, I created.
::Ali Gentry
You on purpose for a purpose.
::Ali Gentry
For such a time as this. Like you said, you're 50. I just turned 33 this last year and I am like.
::Ali Gentry
Oh my goodness, I'm 33. This is not what my life looked in my head.
::Patrick McCalla
You didn't think, well.
::Ali Gentry
The twelve year old girl. 33, this is not what 33 is going to look like.
::Ali Gentry
But I realize that God placed me. And honestly, once you get older, you're like.
::Ali Gentry
Oh my goodness, I'm really actually getting older. Yeah, this is happening. This is a thing that happens. Yeah, and it's like, No, actually God.
::Ali Gentry
e to be born on November six,: ::Ali Gentry
He made me this way. He made me with the personality type. I have made you that way with the eye color I have with the family. I had the skin color. All these are beautiful gifts that he created us with so that he can.
::Ali Gentry
Yes, that we can reflect.
::Ali Gentry
Yeah.
::Ali Gentry
His image to the world in such a unique and specific way. And we are looking to often to everyone else to how we wish we looked the personality, we wish we had, the job we use. We we want to one day or the platform with everyone on it or in God's like, No, I'm I'm calling you did
::Ali Gentry
this only you can do that. Yeah. And when we get so wrapped up in the depression and we get wrapped up into that stuff, that's what leads to depression and anxiety. A lot of times because we're trying to keep up or we're trying to be in God's like, actually, I have something that's so uniquely you that if
::Ali Gentry
you lean into that purpose, you lean into your personality, you lean into the story that he's giving you. Actually, he can do something pretty magnificent that will put purpose and hope and a future. So what are you going to do with it?
::Ali Gentry
Not to the point where we need to put anxiety and pressure, because sometimes that's where I fall into. It's like, God, you have me do this even.
::Ali Gentry
At the beginning. You're like, You do a lot of stuff. Sometimes I'm like, What am I doing? Why am I doing this?
::Patrick McCalla
Your identity becomes your things.
::Ali Gentry
And that's the this is the key piece is that the world is trying to label all of us trying to put our identity, tell us what our identity is, put us in the boxes, put us in the little corners.
::Ali Gentry
You stay with your people that only agree with this and then it creates this like just struggle, the fear and everything. It's a fight over identity and whether people know it or not. We are in a spiritual war and the enemy does not want you to to know who you are in Christ, that you are chosen, that
::Ali Gentry
you are adopted, that you are redeemed. You're forgiven.
::Ali Gentry
You have good.
::Ali Gentry
Things planned in advance for you.
::Ali Gentry
To do.
::Ali Gentry
As it says in Ephesians 2:10. And so when.
::Patrick McCalla
We're royalty.
::Ali Gentry
We are royalty.
::Patrick McCalla
You and I it princess. I'm a prince, son and daughter of the king.
::Ali Gentry
Exactly.
::Ali Gentry
You know, and just knit together so specifically in our mother's womb, as it says in Psalm 139, it's like everything is purposeful. And if we put our identity in anything else, we will lose track will fall into that depression will will the anxiety of the things that we do, the podcast, all the things that you.
::Ali Gentry
All the things you do like.
::Ali Gentry
It's so easy for us or to be identify as like, I'm a mom and that's just it. Like I'm the mom or I'm the dad or, you know?
::Patrick McCalla
And then like, my wife and I went through this recently, so my wife was a stay at home mom loved it. That's what she wanted to do right. And the kids leave home and for a little while, then all of a sudden she was just wrestling with Who am I now?
::Patrick McCalla
Like, Who am I? And she had to try to find that. So what would you say to someone that that is struggling with with identity is going? I hear what you're saying and I get it intellectually. I just can't get it that, you know, from my head to my heart, I can't get it down there.
::Patrick McCalla
What would you say to them?
::Ali Gentry
For me, because I'm I'm such a feeler to. I have to go to truth first. It might be in your head, but reading it, getting people to tell you truth, being around people to speak good things about you, writing things down.
::Ali Gentry
I mean, I did that this morning. I was just as like, I am, you know, called by God I am and not like in a.
::Ali Gentry
You know.
::Ali Gentry
I had to actually sit there and tell myself and repeat it back.
::Ali Gentry
I know this sounds like, you know, kind of woo for some people.
::Ali Gentry
But I'm like, I had to repeat it back to start to believe it because it takes a little while for your head and your heart to connect on what is truth and what we believe. And it's what are you putting into your life, the music you're listening to, the things you're learning, the podcast you're listening to, because
::Ali Gentry
that's going to speak stuff over you, and we have to be so careful with that. But it's learning the stuff that we've shared today. What are those identity pieces? How has God made me take a moment and write down your story and then see how God or see how you can use that God can use it through
::Ali Gentry
you and a redemptive way and be like, this isn't just a fault in my life. This actually might be the very thing that God has allowed in my life.
::Ali Gentry
The the bad thing.
::Ali Gentry
Maybe to actually help people around me and repurpose your life, repurpose you and give it over to him. Because I mean, I'm such a heart for people to know that there is a vibrant life available to them. That's why my show is called the vibrant life.
::Ali Gentry
That's why, because Jesus has it says that he has come. That you may have life.
::Ali Gentry
Yeah. Live it abundant, yes.
::Ali Gentry
Abundant.
::Patrick McCalla
Not just a life, but an abundant lake.
::Ali Gentry
Yes, and that's the truth. And that's why a lot of times it takes our heart a while to catch up. But when we start repeating it, maybe write it on a note card. Put those things in front of you, write down your story one time, tell someone a part of your story and I actually want to.
::Ali Gentry
I would say to you, if you're dealing with depression or anxiety, find someone to tell Mm.
::Ali Gentry
Don't please find someone to help.
::Ali Gentry
Yes, please. I want someone to tell, because that's just a practical, hopeful handle for someone to go and do that. Because what what happens is, is it breeds it and grows in the dark. So if you're isolated from people, the depression gets bigger, the anxiety gets bigger because you didn't speak it, you haven't shared it.
::Ali Gentry
It's in your head, it's in your mind, it's in your feelings. And once you bring something.
::Ali Gentry
To light.
::Ali Gentry
Then the truth can be shed over it and then then you can find healing. You can find hope, in truth. But when we hide it away, which is what happened in the garden, they hid the moment. They felt shame about something and then God calls them out.
::Ali Gentry
He's like, Where are you?
::Patrick McCalla
It's so interesting that the verbiage you just used because in creation, we see almost everything needs light to grow. But you're saying depression and anxiety, it grows in darkness and dark. It's one of the few things that in isolation, darkness it, it will actually breed and grow.
::Patrick McCalla
And that's what we have to fight against that. So I hear you saying that one of the most important things, if you were talking to someone who's going to get it up here intellectually, I just can't get it to my heart is it's not you can't listen to a podcast once or record a verse once or quote
::Patrick McCalla
a pithy statement. It's something that you have to be repeating to yourself. Right? That's what I hear you saying. Somehow, write it down, speak it to yourself. Have other people speak it to you.
::Ali Gentry
But it's right because it does. It takes a long time for some people because it doesn't match what their feels like. And so I just encourage people always write a verse on a card or write truths about like what you know of who God is.
::Ali Gentry
I mean, focus on who God is because he's so good and majestic and awesome and powerful, and he's our provider and our peace and our hope. I don't know. Like, Oh yeah.
::Ali Gentry
OK, yeah, our problems start to like, shrink real fast, and I.
::Ali Gentry
Start writing down attributes of who God is. If you're a believer and just see the good and be thankful and you know, a place of gratitude. I mean, yesterday I was dealing with some pieces of anxiety in my mind, and I was getting so overwhelmed by all this stuff I had to do, and I just started crying
::Ali Gentry
. And then I was.
::Ali Gentry
At church and I told a few people, and I like people that I love and trust, and they prayed over me and then I walked out of there and I was like, Oh.
::Ali Gentry
OK, it's not as big as I thought it was.
::Ali Gentry
Now that I spoke it out, and when you say so, I would say, write it down, repeat it, find someone to talk to about it that you trust. Or or counseling. I an advocate for that as well. I myself have one.
::Ali Gentry
I find a way to be able to talk through it and get truth spoken back over you and a couple of other practical things. Get active.
::Ali Gentry
Go on a walk.
::Ali Gentry
You know, even if your brain's like going a zillion miles an hour, go on a walk. If your brain's not going at all and you're feeling depressed, going to.
::Ali Gentry
Walk like go get out walking.
::Patrick McCalla
Solves a lot of things.
::Ali Gentry
It does. It's all over scripture to you, but like, go outside and breathe active breath just.
::Ali Gentry
Fresh air that God has for us. And. And again, like, I'm not going to go into this whole story about the story of Elijah, but it's just incredible.
::Ali Gentry
That he.
::Ali Gentry
Was like one of God's biggest prophets. And after what? Some of the biggest miracles he was laying out there.
::Ali Gentry
Depression, depression wanted.
::Ali Gentry
God telling God to take his life. And he isolated himself. If you read it, he like tells his.
::Ali Gentry
Kids.
::Ali Gentry
His purpose is assistant. If you will stay back.
::Ali Gentry
I'm going by myself in the desert today. And he gets on to the desert and God's like, Go to sleep. Yeah, go to sleep, dude. Like, I mean, he cares. And he got.
::Patrick McCalla
Some food too, right? Yes, a nap and a meal and a walk will do a lot.
::Ali Gentry
I'm telling.
::Ali Gentry
You sleep. Yes. Yes, that's what we say. Take a nap.
::Ali Gentry
Eat a snack. OK, if you're feeling depressed or you're feeling on the verge of making a decision that is life altering. Go to sleep. I know it sounds trivial, but it's like sleep. What are you putting into your body?
::Ali Gentry
It matters. The angel wakes Elijah up and gives him bread and water. Hmm. Are you drinking enough water?
::Ali Gentry
Our bodies are literally.
::Ali Gentry
Responding to some of the ways we're not actually taking care of it in the physical. So those are some other practical ways. And and then he gets up and he walks at the end of that story. It's he sleeps, he eats, he's drink some water and he goes back to sleep, does it again, and then he goes
::Ali Gentry
on a walk back to work. His calling was and he gained strength. So all of those things are very practical ways to help us, not small things.
::Patrick McCalla
It sounds so trivial.
::Ali Gentry
That's why I feel like that's why sure, it's nice to.
::Patrick McCalla
Snack in a walk.
::Ali Gentry
I yeah, yesterday after I was like, I need like a 15 minute nap, like and.
::Ali Gentry
I felt better waking up. And it's.
::Ali Gentry
Just it just.
::Ali Gentry
It matters. We don't prioritize it. But God created our bodies in a certain way that it actually does matter on our. Health and we have to prioritize it.
::Patrick McCalla
As holistic beings.
::Ali Gentry
Right, holistic? Absolutely. And so I know that we've talked about and covered quite a few things, but those I hope are just practical ways as first steps. And don't be like, Oh, I have to. What am I eating healthy?
::Ali Gentry
I had to drink all this water today, and I need going to pick one thing to focus on. And then once you get that going to pick the next thing? Don't be overwhelmed. More so in a space that already feels overwhelming.
::Ali Gentry
Just look for those little moments, and I really believe they'll compound and help you out of those moments.
::Patrick McCalla
And that's so good. Ali, we clearly need to have you on here again because we had I had shared a couple of things. I want to go here, I want to talk about, but we didn't get to some of that, like our mutual hero, Esther.
::Ali Gentry
I know. Oh, I love her so much.
::Patrick McCalla
And me too in her and Mordechai. And if people don't know what we're talking about, go to the Bible, find the Book of Esther. Take you like 20 minutes to.
::Ali Gentry
Read.
::Patrick McCalla
ten or eleven chapters. Unbelievable story. But sometimes we have to have you on just to talking about it for such a time as this. And and it's not just about Esther. That story connects with all of us. Like we've all been put in this place in history in this particular spot in the world for such a time
::Patrick McCalla
. You got to come back and talk about that sometime, OK? We got it. We have to do that. And there was another question, but we're out of time. So let me do this, though. I'm going to ask you what I ask all the guests.
::Patrick McCalla
It's ironic because there's no gray areas, two truths and a lie. So they've heard you for a little over 30 minutes now. I've met you twice now. I think I'll see if I can guess it. They're going to try to guess.
::Ali Gentry
OK, well, I'll say this.
::Ali Gentry
I'm an adventurer, OK?
::Ali Gentry
And I love to travel.
::Ali Gentry
And that has just been in my DNA. And so my first one is when I was in Thailand. I traveled around for a couple of weeks and ended in the city of Bangkok. I always like.
::Ali Gentry
To try local.
::Ali Gentry
Foods and try to be, you know.
::Patrick McCalla
That gets you in trouble.
::Ali Gentry
It does sometimes, you know. And I was sitting there and they walked around with a platter and it was scorpions. They got pudding around putting in your face, and I was like, I don't know where I am from Arizona.
::Ali Gentry
So I feel like eating a scorpion is like.
::Ali Gentry
Poetic in a weird way. I'm going to your grandma. Yeah, yeah.
::Ali Gentry
Number two. OK, so I went to school in London for college for a little bit, and on one of the weekend trips, which is epic, I highly recommend going to school somewhere else. For a little while. I went to a week in terms of went to Paris and then we decided, OK, we're going to go to the
::Ali Gentry
Eiffel Tower after we had lunch and our baguettes out on the lawn being all cool and thinking we are.
::Ali Gentry
Yeah, and we.
::Ali Gentry
Get on to the Eiffel Tower on the elevator and we got stuck in an elevator.
::Patrick McCalla
And the Eiffel Tower.
::Ali Gentry
And the Eiffel Tower, which felt like.
::Ali Gentry
Ours. Yeah, there's probably like less.
::Ali Gentry
Than 15 minutes.
::Ali Gentry
Like, it's.
::Patrick McCalla
OK. So you so you eat a scorpion. Everything Tylenol. Yeah, get stuck in the Eiffel Tower. An elevator?
::Ali Gentry
Yeah. And there were three. I taught English in South Korea for a little bit and.
::Ali Gentry
We were out on the beach and we just hear these sirens going off and we had locals coming in yelling at us, telling us you off the beach. We had to leave. And so we pack up our hotel, get back to the school where we were teaching at one of the little like university spaces for like fifth
::Ali Gentry
and sixth graders. We get back, it starts pouring rain. We're with our students. We're having to move them from building to building. And I live in Arizona, right?
::Patrick McCalla
Her like a flash flood.
::Ali Gentry
Or something like that in my life.
::Ali Gentry
And it was probably one of the most, scariest moments because I didn't understand the typhoon.
::Ali Gentry
Word, really.
::Ali Gentry
And you're in charge of all these kids. And so you're like trying to take care of them. But also, I feel like our kids, we had so much fun and it bonded us in such a beautiful way that it was one.
::Ali Gentry
Of the again, you had to be there at that time to get a typhoon on a beach, but.
::Ali Gentry
That was one of my memories of teaching over there. So those are right there.
::Patrick McCalla
OK to truth and a lie. So I'm going to go either you're a really, really good liar, which I almost hope this isn't true now. So I'm going to say number three is true because you were telling that like you would have experienced.
::Patrick McCalla
Yeah. So that's true, OK? Either way, if you told me that was a lie as me, like, Wow, you're a good liar. So that was so I'm going to say that I must say the lie is stuck in the Eiffel Tower.
::Ali Gentry
100% a lie. OK, so we did. I did it a scorpion, and I did go to Paris and we did go the Eiffel Tower, but didn't get stuck. OK.
::Ali Gentry
But yes, I did see the scorpion, and I'm pretty.
::Ali Gentry
Sure I still have health issues from that day. So don't do that. If you go to Thailand, just say, Wow, that looks great, thanks and then don't predict so. Yeah, yeah.
::Patrick McCalla
Well, Ali, thank you so much for taking the time. I have no doubt I learned a lot. I have no doubt listeners learned a lot as well, so really appreciate you appreciate what you're doing. Thanks for sharing with us.
::Ali Gentry
Thank you for having me.
::Host
Thank you. Thanks for listening to the No Gray Areas podcast to dove deeper into the story. Be sure to subscribe. Follow us on social media and check out No Gray Area dot com.
