Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey - Ep 65 | Q&A!

Episode Date: December 27, 2018

 I answer all of your questions—personal, professional and political.  Copyright Blaze Media LLC. All rights reserved.

Hey guys, it's Ali. Welcome to Relatable. It is two days after Christmas. I hope that you guys had a wonderful holiday that you got to spend time with your family. I know that sometimes Christmas can be super stressful. I don't know if you have a great relationship with your family and your in-laws. I hope that you do. If you don't, maybe you're taking some time to yourself today to enjoy your gifts, or maybe you didn't get me gifts, and you're just enjoying some Netflix. If so, I wish you the best. And I hope that you get lots of rest. I hope that you didn't have to go back to work immediately. And maybe you even have a long weekend until after New Year's.

If not, if you're working and you are in the routine of your day, then best of luck to you as well. I am chilling, except for doing this podcast. So today I'm going to answer some of your questions. To be perfectly honest with you guys, I'm just going to be real. I don't know exactly what we're going to talk about on today's podcast. I'm going to answer some of the questions that you sent me in hope for the best and try to extend this to be at least 30 minutes for you guys. I usually find something to say.

I usually get long-winded about one topic or the other, so it should be fine. But I'm just letting you know, I'm kind of going into this after the holidays with a more relaxed mindset that we're going to figure out something to talk about, but I don't know what yet. That is very atypical for this podcast. I always have notes and I know what I'm going to say today. You just never know. You don't know what's going to come out. Before we actually start and I answer some of these questions, I have to tell you, I have to tell you.

I know you guys have no idea what I'm about to say. I have to tell you about my pillow. I got a review the other day that said, I love Allie because she loves Chick-fil-A and pillows. Yes, true. I do love pillows, but not just any pillow. I love my Bolster'sleep pillow. So you can go to bolsterlead.com slash Allie and get 10% off their pillows. Their pillows are amazing, you guys. I used to build like this whole pillow empire around my head to make sure that I slept in the correct way and I would still get a crick in my neck. That's not true anymore. My bolster sleep pillow keeps its form all night.

It's just the right combination of firmness and softness. If you know what I'm talking about, it's not a feather pillow, but it's also not like super firm to where you can't move your hat. Does that make any sense? It's really perfect. And it's made out of this material called tin cell. So it stays cool all night. No flipping over to get the cooler side of the piece. pillow. You've got it all night with a bolster sleeve. So you should go to bolter sleeve.com. You should

use promo code Allie. It's A-L-L-I-E, not A-L-L-I, not A-L-L-I-E, get 10% off. If you're looking for a late Christmas present, I don't know. Maybe you're a trash person like me and you didn't get everyone's Christmas presents in right away. Actually, I did this year. That's an accomplishment for me. But maybe you didn't and you should just get this late Christmas present and whoever you're giving it to will really appreciate it. Okay, moving on. I'm going to answer some of your questions that you sent me. You always send me your questions via Instagram. That's where I interact with my audience the most.

It's kind of funny. It used to be Facebook that I had the largest audience on and I talked to the most. And then it was Twitter. Now it's Instagram. Let me tell you, Instagram's way nicer than any other social media platform. I think it's because the people who follow you on Instagram and who see your posts. Okay. So the people who see your post on Instagram and comment on your post typically follow you.

because you don't share posts on Instagram. So there's not a huge chance of people seeing something unless they follow you. So most of the people that comment on my post follow me, which means they probably agree with me. And y'all are just a lot nicer. On Instagram or on Facebook or on Twitter, you have no idea who's sharing your post. So you have no idea who's going to see it.

And the trolls just come out in droves. And yet I find solace in Instagram. So that's where I interact with my audience the most. And so this is where you guys send me all. of your lovely questions. So one of the questions that I got is from Jess. What other podcasts do you love and vouch for? I love yours. And I've been trying to find others that are good. They can be either politically based, Christian based. Okay. So here are the podcasts I listen to. And I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings about what podcasts I don't listen to. So sometimes I listen

to a variety. But here are my mainstays. I listen to the briefing with Albert Mueller. So this is approaching news and politics from a Christian worldview. I think that's actually the tagline. And it's about some, it used to be 15 minutes. I think it's actually about 25 minutes now, but it goes through stories not of the day, but of the week or of the last two weeks that have not only political importance, but cultural importance. He talks a lot about the moral revolution that's happened over the past 10 years and really

analyzes that and puts it back into the Christian worldview and roots it in script. and I think he's really good. He is a conservative. He doesn't necessarily say I'm a Republican or I'm a conservative, but he does have conservative views. Of course, that could be a criticism of the podcast, but everything he says is scripturally based. As you know, I believe that if you are a Bible believing Christian, you are going to tend to have conservative views at least culturally, maybe not on every single policy, but culturally, you're probably going to be politically, or you're probably going to be pretty conservative just because that's how the Bible leans. So he is conservative. He's a Christian. He is also a Baptist. You can take all of that as you will. I really like

Albert Mueller. I think he's a great daily podcast. It's one of those podcasts that makes you feel smarter after you listen to it. Another mainstay is the Ben Shapiro podcast. So this is the podcast that I go to when I just, I want what is happening that day, what news I need to know and the details I need to know about those news stories. His podcast is completely different than mine and that he's going to talk about the Russian collusion story. He's going to talk about all of the minutia of the day. My podcast doesn't do that. And the funny thing is, is that, you know, people always tell me they love Ben Shapiro. Like, oh, I just, I love following you in Ben Shapiro. No one has ever told me, I wish your podcast was more newsy, or I wish your podcast would cover the Russian collusion story. And I think that's because

there are so many podcasts that already do a great job with that, like Ben's podcast and other podcasts, that cover the daily news, that people just don't come to me for that. And I'm completely fine with it. We have a kind of a different approach and the stories that we choose are a little bit different and they're a little bit more evergreen than the daily news. And so that's why I listen to Bin's podcast because it's different than mine. It's different than the other ones that I listen to. And I highly recommend it if you just want to know what you need to know for the day. He's going to tell you the facts. I also think that he is extremely fair. He's obviously, conservative, but he's going to tell you both sides of the argument.

So I really like Ben's podcast. I just feel like I can trust him. Again, that's another podcast where you just, you don't just feel like you know more, but you actually feel wiser, like you feel smarter. It actually makes you think every time you listen to his podcast. That is important to me. Let's see. Another one that I listen to is the Just Thinking podcast.

This is an exclusively Christian podcast. There is one episode, I believe, a week. It dives into a particular issue, typically a theological issue. If it's a cultural or political issue, they always approach it theologically. And I really like it. I just think that they're very good analytical thinkers. They are reformed.

They are just awesome. I really like how they think and I love how they articulate things. And I love their exegetical style and really digging into the Bible in such an accurate way. So the Just Thinking podcast, those are really my three main ones. I also might listen to the Dave Rubin podcast from time to time. Oh, the Sheelotians. I listen to the Sheelotians as well, and they approach theological topics, and I just think they're really good. They're also reformed and very biblically sound. So, Sheelotians, Ben Shapiro podcast, the briefing and the Just Thinking podcast, those are my main ones. And like I said, there are always other ones kind of sprinkled in there. But those are really good ones and a good balance.

And they're all just smart. They're just, they're good. They're not just informational. they're actually analytical as well. Okay. Someone asked me, what are your thoughts on someone taking birth control to control periods, acne, or other medical reasons? Is it still simple? She said, I'm pretty sure in the Catholic Church it would be. So she's asking me for the Protestant perspective on this.

I don't, I personally don't think so. No, I don't think so. If you're not sexually active and you're using it literally as a medicine, I don't see any argument against that whatsoever, unless you're just against medicine in general. I don't think birth control itself, the pill itself, is inherently simple. It depends on what you're using it for and how it actually works. So I've gotten a lot of messages from you since last week's podcast talking about birth control,

and I've literally gotten both sides of the argument, which is why, again, I think it's so confusing because one side is extremely sure that all birth controls in some way cause an abortion or can cause an abortion, making the uterus just in hospital, to a fetus and therefore are killing an embryo. And then I have gotten a lot of messages from people saying, no, that's not true at all. It stops ovulation. So you're just not going to conceive a child. Again, I don't know enough about the science myself. I'm learning to know which one is true. And you could have problems, moral problems, theological problems with it either way, whether it causes an abortion or just stops ovulation. And I totally, I totally get that. But if you are not

doing it for either of those reasons. Now, there could be medical reasons where you don't want to get on birth control. A lot of people think it messes up your hormones. But I certainly don't think it's simple to simply use it because you need to use it, especially if it's not to actually control conception or control birth. I don't have a verse to back that up. That just seems logical. Someone asks me, just a very offensive question, to be honest, why do you like Chick-fil-A so much?

So I'm going to answer a question with a question. What kind of question is that? I don't even know how to answer that. Why would someone not like Chick-Fleigh? Actually, confession, I didn't like Chick-fil-A when I was young. For some reason, I didn't like the peanut oil. It grossed me out. I don't know what I was thinking then.

I was out of my mind. I mean, your brain isn't fully developed when you're young. That's probably why I didn't think I liked Chick-fil-A. I love Chick-fil-A, as I've talked about before. I am addicted to Chick-fil-A, especially when I am pregnant. I love Waffle fries. I love Chick-fil-A sauce. I don't want to know how many calories are in Chick-Fouly sauce.

Don't message me about that. I know it's a lot. I love the grilled chicken sandwich. It makes me feel like I'm being a little bit healthier than getting the fried chicken sandwich. And as I have heard before, I've heard that Chick-fil-A is actually the healthiest fast-food option you can get. Now, I am not against DeWindies.

I'm not even against in desperate situations of McDonald's. I'm not against. There's a lot of fast food. I'm really not against. Now, I am kind of against KFC. I didn't used to be. I actually grew up eating KFC. I'm kind of against some burger king. Kind of grosses me out. Not against what a burger. I actually love what a burger. I fight with myself on a weekly basis now that I'm pregnant between, oh, do I want what a burger? Or do I want chick flay? Usually chick flay wins because it's faster and they say my pleasure. And I sometimes just, or I somehow feel like I'm like supporting some. kind of Christian cause, and I don't think that's true.

Chick-fil-A just goes above and beyond, not to just make amazing chicken and chicken sandwiches and waffle fries and sauce, but also they're just kind and they're efficient and they think about the customer first. I think that a lot of fast food restaurants are just thinking about what costs the least amount of money. And I'm a customer, and I am spending my five minutes in line in my probably $7,000, on your meal. And I want to be treated with respect, okay? I think Wendy's is actually fairly good at this. I think people sleep on Wendy's. I think people don't give Wendy's enough of a chance.

They never freeze their beef. Their fries are pretty good. Ranch dressing is good. I can't really speak for their chicken fingers. Chicken fingers, I'm a Chili's girl. That's another place people sleep on is Chili's. I personally think it's disrespectful. to the chain of chilies that people don't go there more often. Their skillet caseo, amazing. Their fajita pita, really good. I don't even think it's on the menu anymore. Chili's used to be the place to go,

and I just think it's very sad that it's gone so downhill. So anyway, the question, why do you like Chick-Flea so much? Because it's amazing. And if anyone doesn't like Chick-fil-A, then it's not just that they're wrong. They're a bad person. I feel like you can't trust them.

You know, can you really trust people who don't like Chick-fil-A or don't go to Chick-fil-A? I don't think so. That's just my objective opinion. Tips for young professionals, especially those who want to work in politics. Tips for young professionals. Ooh, maybe I could do, I had a whole podcast on that. Tips for Young Professionals. Okay, this is from someone who had an unsuccessful first part of my young professional career. When I graduated from college, I went straight into PR. And I am such a typical millennial in so many ways. I know I rail on millennials and all of the bad things about us because there are so many bad things about us.

But I have been at times in my life entitled, not okay with authority, just want to do what I want to do and no one can tell me any differently. Actually, I'm still like that today. That's why I went to, went into a job where I basically worked for myself. But I would say that's not a good mentality to have, especially when you're first starting out. So you graduate from college, you think you're on top of the world.

I delivered my commencement speech. I graduated with honors. of course, I went to a school of 2,700 people, and it was a liberal arts college. It's not like I went to Harvard or something. But regardless, you think you're on top of the world. You think you're invincible. You think that you know everything. You think when you go into your first job that, yeah, sure, this might have been hard for some

people. Some people might have had to adjust, but I won't have to. I'll learn so much more quickly than everyone else. Ha, that's what I'd say. Maybe that's true for you. It was not true for me. So I went into PR, and I had actually interned at this place before. it was a great place. A lot of people that I love worked there, still work there, and it was a really

good experience for me. But if you're in PR, you understand. PR is difficult. You deal with a lot of rejection. There are a lot of deadlines. There's a lot of pressure in just any kind of client relations whatsoever. I think it's great to go into client relations after college because you learn how to write an email. You learn how to work with people. You learn how to put your client first and to make other people happy, you learn how to go above and beyond. And those are huge, amazing skills that I have continued to learn and to use for the rest of my career. But I just wasn't prepared. I wasn't organized. I didn't know how to maximize my time. I remember crying on a Friday night working on a project that I've completely forgotten about. College, in my opinion,

my college experience did not prepare me for my first job out of college. And I probably was a little bit arrogant, thinking that this is going to come easily for me and not being as teachable as I could have been. I learned a lot about humility in that first job, but I would like to think of myself as much more teachable now than I was then, because you make a fool of yourself a lot less when you just admit that you don't know something and ask for help. PR, though at the end of the day, social media strategy at the end of the day, just wasn't my thing. And so after about a year and seven months, I moved to another job. I actually managed and marketed for a pure bar. I thought that I was, this is going to be so much more fun.

Turns out I'm really bad at managing people. I'm just not good at managing a ton of people that constantly need me. I'm just not good at that. I would rather you figure it out and do what you want to do. So I should have, I don't even know what I would have done differently. I probably would have stuck the job, the first job out a little bit longer. I would have been more teachable. I would have prepared myself a little bit better in college and learn some

organizational skills. and learned some time management skills. And I would have had a better attitude in doing the things that I didn't want to do. I think that's a huge problem with our generation that we have bad attitudes. We don't want to do things that are hard. We don't want to do things that are inconvenient.

We don't want to go above and beyond. We want to do the bare minimum. And I can't say that I necessarily did the bare minimum and I was completely apathetic, but I certainly didn't push myself as hard as I could. I didn't push myself as hard as I could in college. And I didn't in my first few jobs. It wasn't until I was really on my own in this job that I started applying myself honestly

and working as hard as I possibly could. I wish that I had realized that about myself early on and worked harder. I just wish that I had. So respect your bosses. Learn how to write an email. Learn how to communicate well. Go above and beyond for your clients and work hard when you don't want to work hard. That is my tips for young professionals.

Those are my tips for young professionals. do not worry right now about finding that perfect job that's going to be fulfilling and lucrative in all of these wonderful things. It's going to happen. But your goal in life is not to be fulfilled and happy. It's to do your best. It's to use your talents and your passions to the best of your ability and to trust God with everything else. That's a lot easier said than done. But that is, that's my piece of advice. You said especially in politics, especially in politics, stay above the fray. politics are really hard. It's easy to get down in the mud. That's why I live in Texas and not in D.C. or New York or L.A., where most political media people live, because I don't want to get into the politics of politics. I don't want to get into the gossipy world right now. It's a hard industry to be in. That doesn't mean you shouldn't do it because we need more wise, awesome, honest people in politics. But stay above the phrase. Stay rooted in your friends and in your family and in your values and in your faith. Don't let yourself be dictated by the lack of morals and the lack of principles that is American politics.

Okay, next question. Okay, so I won't read the whole thing. What are your thoughts on speaking your mind when the consequences could be damaging? I think this is a difficult question because there is certainly a balance in this. Whenever I'm talking to college students, I say what I think a lot of, people have said, of course, I would love college students to be able to stand up in class and say, Professor, you're wrong. Stop shoving this postmodern crap down our throats. This is not how history played out and white people are not bad. And America is not an aggressor. I think that would be

awesome. But at the same time, I'm not sure if that's always a battle that is worth fighting in every single situation. I think pick your battles wisely. It depends also on what the argument is. Are you listening to someone blaspheme? Are you listening to someone purport something that is dangerously untrue that you think is going to have negative effects on you, on the people around you? Then maybe there's a respectful way to say something. Maybe it's not in public in the classroom or wherever you are. Maybe it's privately go to that person and express your concerns. But if it's just something where a professor or someone you know makes a passing remark that you don't agree with, maybe just let it slide. I think picking your battles is a matter of discern.

I can't necessarily tell you the formula for your life and your situation, which battles are right to fight and which battles are right to just ignore. But I think it's a matter of wisdom. It's a matter of discernment. And of course, when it comes to standing up for your faith, I think it's pretty much in every single situation. Standing up for politics, maybe not so much. It just depends on what's on the line.

Is it your entire job and your family is going to starve? And if you say that you're a conservative and voted for Donald Trump, okay, well, maybe you You don't need to say that. It's also possible just to live a conservative life in a life that aligns with your politics without having to be aggressive and shove it down people's throats. Of course, when you're asked about it,

I would never lie. I would ever be dishonest. I would never try to cover it up. But that doesn't mean you go around picking fights with people that you disagree with. Again, that's politics, your faith. I think it's always important to be bold in a loving and truthful and a kind way.

Hope that makes sense. What do you do to de-stress and mentally get away from the crazy political world that you are immersed in? Well, I was just talking about that when I'm feeling particularly overwhelmed, this is not something I'm bragging about. This is a bad thing that maybe in 2019 I can rig myself of. When I'm super just like in the moment, oh my gosh, I don't want to think about that thing or I don't want to do that one thing or I'm just stressed to the max and overwhelmed, I scroll through Instagram, particularly. And this is so bad, guys. this is so bad. I know it's bad. Particularly, I scroll through keeping up with the Kardashians clips on my Discover page on Instagram. Instagram knows that I love watching the Kardashians. I don't

love the Kardashians. I actually think that they're so obnoxious and largely ignorant, but they're so entertaining. I love watching like the 30-second clips from past episodes. I have no idea why. Like, I don't actually watch Keeping Up with the Kardashians on television. I just watched the clips, and I could do that for probably six hours. I did that for 30 minutes today. Why did I do that? I don't know, because I hate myself when I'm done, because I'm actually dumber at the end of it.

They are saying nothing of substance whatsoever. And yet I do it. I don't know why, but that is one way. I guess I de-stress. The stress only goes away for so long, though. To really de-stress, I try to put away my devices, hang out with my husband, And when people ask me what I like to do, I'm like, I don't know. I like to watch TV and eat really filling food with my husband.

Like a great night for me is watching like a show that we've been watching for a long time. Like right now we're watching Band of Brothers and eating pizza. Like that is a great night for me. Not seeing anyone except for my husband, not having to talk to anyone. Makeups already off in my sweatpants under a blanket with my cat sweatpants. and watching TV, that's a great night. So maybe that's what I do to de-stress. I also like talking helps me de-stress.

Maybe. It might also wind me up. I'm not really sure. But I like talking things out with my mom. It helps. Also, I'm not really immersed in the political world because I live out here in Texas away from all the madness.

Okay. Can you talk a bit about what it means for Christians to be, first and foremost, citizens of the kingdom of God and how that fact should inform exactly how we are to operate in the kingdom of men, whether in the realm of politics or any else. Wow, this is a big question. I'm not sure I can answer it comprehensively. So you're absolutely right that Christians are citizens of heaven. First and foremost, that means that how we behave, how we act, the things that we think should be shaped by eternity. So are the anxieties that we have, the priorities that we have,

should be shaped in light of eternity. That means we don't worry about the things that the world worries about. That's why it says we're not supposed to worry about what we wear, what we eat, what we drink, that our Heavenly Father knows that we need these things and he's going to take care of us and that non-Christians are the ones who worry about those things, but we don't have to. That God is going to take care of us. That doesn't mean that he is going to provide us with all of the financial benefits that we think that we deserve, but whether in life or in death, he is going to be there for us perfectly and he won't forsake us. So it means that our entire thought life and therefore our entire, actually walking life, our entire action life is

in light of what is important eternally, not what is important temporarily. Do I live like this? No, the things that I am concerned about are typically the things that are happening today, the things that are happening tomorrow. What am I going to do about this aspect of my job? How am I going to get this done? Oh, I have to travel tomorrow. This person didn't book the right thing for me. What if this goes wrong? I'm always concerned about the things that are happening right now, the things that I feel like I don't have control of, the things that I feel like are not going my way. I'm very rarely focused or worried about things that are eternal. Like, oh, what about the state of all of these people's souls? What about the lost people in the world who have never heard of Christ

before? That's not what's keeping me up at night. It's typically selfish things and temporary things. So being a citizen of heaven doesn't mean that you're going to be perfect in your thought life, but it does give us a different perspective. Now, we are in the world and not of the world. We are not conform to the patterns of this world. So I do think that that means that we participate in the spheres of the world that are seen typically as worldly, that Christians can be involved in government, that Christians can be involved in politics, in media, in art, in whatever it is, and glorify the Lord

in doing that. The Lord gave us particular gifts that we are to use to glorify him. and it's important that we are salt and light wherever we go. If all of Christians extracted themselves out of politics, there would be no Christians in politics and no light in politics at all, at all. I think I said that correctly. So I don't think it means that we just sit in our house and we pray for Jesus to come back. I think that it means that we share the gospel through everything that we do.

We work hard, hardly is for the Lord and not for man, and that we keep our eyes on Christ and our perspective centered on him. Okay, let's see. Any more questions? Okay, interesting question. Thoughts on tattoos and biblical reference to them. So I believe this, I didn't look this up before because I forgot about this question. But I believe there is a verse in Leviticus that talks about not tattooing your body. Typically Christians don't heed to that because there are a lot of laws in Leviticus. That, we don't abide by because they're not in the New Testament and they were meant for the Jewish people and not for the Gentiles. Now, there are some things that are in the Old Testament and the New Testament that, of course, we abide by. But that typically isn't one of them. Now, I'm not going to say definitely that it's God's will that people get tattoos. And I'm not saying it is necessarily the Christian thing to do. But I'm also not sure that it is a sin, according to the Bible, as a

and I do have a tattoo. I don't know if I ever said that on my podcast, but I do have a tattoo. And I won't tell you what it is. I'll let you all I'll guess what it is. It's not a butterfly. I can tell you that I've never told you that I have a fear. I have like this crazy fear of inanimate butterflies. I don't, not fear. I just don't like them. No offense if you like inanimate butterflies, but I will not buy a planner, a shirt, a dress, a wallpaper, whatever it is with an inanimate butterfly on it. I just don't like them. I just don't like them. And now I'm forgetting why I even said that. Why is that? Oh, yeah, tattoos. It's definitely not a butterfly because I don't like, I don't like an animate butterflies. It's just FYI.

Okay. Last question. Do you have fears about bringing a baby into the chaos of the world that we live in? Or do you see it as an opportunity to bring humanity back to God and raise your child morally? Because I know that I struggle with that being a mom, but also see it as a great opportunity. Of course I have fears. I have fears that I won't have enough time to teach my child what is true. I have fears that once they go into the world, once they start school, of course, once they graduate and go off to college and become an adult that they'll fall prey into into the lies of this world. Of course, I worry about that. But as I said on Tuesday's podcast, like my child is not mine. I entrust them to the Lord, they are the Lord's. God has a plan for my child that doesn't even include me, doesn't even

involve me, that will last long after I am gone. And I do see it as an opportunity, I guess, to raise a child in the Lord. And I hope that this is another Christian and a Christian that is passionate about God and passionate about sharing the gospel. But of course, I have fears. But like in all things, I have to trust God with those and know that if I wasn't supposed to have a child, I wouldn't have a child, but that he has a perfect, a perfect plan and he cares about this child way more than I do. That was my last question. Thank you guys so much for listening.

I hope that you guys have a great New Year's. Well, I will be here. I will be here next week. We will have podcasts next week. Maybe we'll talk about New Year's resolutions. Feel free to send me recommendations for what you guys want. Last week when I checked, this podcast was in the top 100 for New Year's resolutions. news and politics, which is awesome, and that's all because of you. Thank you guys so much for listening.

If you have feedback about how I can make this podcast better, please email me, Ali at the conservative millennial blog.com. I really, really would love your recommendations. As you guys know, I take your feedback really seriously. So please send me anything that you think that I can do to make this better or to make your listening experience more enjoyable. I love you guys and see you soon.