Taking Flight

Season 2 Episode 1 - Taking Flight

In the season premiere of Banta with Toni, Toni dives into the exciting changes of Season 2 and introduces the fresh dynamics we can expect. She tackles pressing pop culture issues, including:

The ongoing TikTok lawsuit where parents argue the app's addictive nature affects their children.

The Denaesha Gonzalez trend, exploring its positive impact of leaving money for struggling mothers, alongside the negative occurences.

The serious allegations against Diddy and their broader implications.

Toni also opens up about her faith and journey in Christ, sharing the challenges of balancing spiritual growth with earthly desires.

As always, she wraps up the show with her top "worldly music" picks, as her mum calls it, alongside her Gospel music selections for the week. Additionally, she shares her Book of the Week, providing listeners with the perfect soundtrack and inspiration to accompany them through the hustle and bustle of life.

Join the conversation! Subscribe to "Banta with Toni" for more lively discussions. Follow me on social media to stay updated on all the Banta :

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Don't miss out on the next episode! Hit play on the next installment of banter with Toni.

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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bantapod/message

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Welcome to Banta with Tony. Join me as I share stories about
motherhood, faith, life, love, and everything else in between.
I promise we'll also have some fun along the way, and I hope
that the time we spend together will end up being some of the
highlights of your week. Thank you for coming along.

(00:20):
Knock knock. Did you miss me while I was
gone? Thank you so much for tuning in
today. This is the first ever episode
of Banta with Tony. I can't believe it.
Thank you so much for joining metoday.
I hope that this episode will serve you in some kind of way
and that you will leave it just feeling better than when we
started. So things do look a little bit

(00:40):
different and I think I want to address that first before I
cover anything else because it'sgood to kind of talk about it.
I think there were some lessons there to learn.
So when I started Banta, I was originally doing it with my
niece and it was an that I had we actually went to woman evolve
last year. And before we went, I shared
with her, I said I wanted us to do this podcast together.
And I wanted us to go to woman evolve and have that kind of

(01:02):
like be the catalyst for us to kind of like shed a lot of
things, put a lot of things downand then move forward.
Back story to that was that thiswas a time that she was going to
have some time off from college because she decided to take a
gap year. And I just thought, you know,
doing this podcast was somethingthat, you know, me and her we
can do together. And it will help to kind of, you
know, take some time as she is get in her life, you know,

(01:25):
figured out and put together just to give her something to
look forward to. And then like I shared with her
before, if you listen to our previous season, it's not my
first time trying anything in the creative sphere.
And I I told her that this was going to be kind of like my last
thing, Like, OK, if I try this, it doesn't work then, you know,
whatever. Now times have changed how I see
it now I see it differently. And I think that's part of the

(01:48):
beauty here is that we started something together, but it's now
taken on a different path and a different life of its own.
And I think it's perfectly fine.And so I kind of like want to go
through that process because I feel like there were some
lessons there to learn. So when she decided that she
didn't want to do the podcast anymore, we had a conversation
together. And one of the things I shared

(02:09):
with her was I felt like if she was hesitant at any point in
doing the podcast with me, that she, she should have been
upfront with me in the beginning.
And I got her to see because, you know, she's just like, I'm
doing a podcast with my auntie and I don't want to let her
down. And this is something that she
wants to do. And, you know, let me just go
ahead and just do it. But if it's not something that
she really truly wanted to do orif if I gave her the vision, I

(02:30):
say, this is what I envisioned, but it's not something that she
saw for herself. She had every right to say that
she didn't want to do that. And I take this moment to
encourage any young people out there because when I had the
conversation with her, that's what I told her.
I said, eventually you're going to get older and you're going to
be a young woman in this world, eventually, a grown woman in
this world. And I want you to know,
especially you being a black woman in this world as well,

(02:51):
when things are not what you want it to be, you have every
right to speak up. And I want all the young girls
to know you don't need to just go along to go along sake.
And that's what I told her because I got her to see that if
she had told me from the beginning that this is not
really something I really want to do, it would have helped me
to frame my mind differently. And I would have started the
podcast off by myself. But again, I'm a firm believer

(03:12):
that everything happens for a reason.
I know that her, you know, coming down to live with us in
Texas, it wasn't just by happenstance, OK?
I feel like that happened for a reason.
Like I said, she was kind of going through like a transition
period. So I think her doing the podcast
with me, I feel like it served apurpose.
Maybe one day she will look backat it and see the goodness that
came out of it because maybe nowshe's just like, OK, whatever.

(03:33):
It was just something I did withmy auntie, but I really feel
like it did serve a purpose evenfor me.
My lesson that I learned there, you know, the lesson for her is
don't get along just to get along.
And I'm saying young people here, but, you know, there's
some of us who are my age, even older, that sometimes we just
get along just to get along. And especially, I keep saying
that over and over, but it's so true, especially for us as Black

(03:55):
women, I think we have been conditioned by society sometimes
to get along just to get along because, you know, a lot of us,
we carry things or, you know, and I'm only speaking from the
perspective of my own life beinga Black woman.
I'm not saying we're the only ones that get along to get
along. But I just know from what I have
lived and experienced that sometimes it's asked more out of

(04:15):
us to just get along, just to get along.
And that's something from such ayoung age that I hope one day
she's able to process and realize that she does not need
to do that. You know, if you don't like
something, you don't like something.
If you don't want to do something, you don't want to do
something. Sometimes you will give an
explanation, but sometimes you don't need to.
It's just, you know what, I loveto help you, but this is not
going to work for me right now. You know what, I can't help you,

(04:37):
but I won't be able to help you until at this point.
And that's perfectly fine. And if that individual takes it
some kind of way or they they don't fully understand, that's
their thing that they will have to process as long as you're
honest. And that's what I told her.
I said, you know, the honesty, even though I first thought I'm
like, OK, well, you know, she doesn't want to do it.
But later on it would have been just fine because then I would
have started from the beginning where I am now.

(04:59):
So for me, my own lesson, because, you know, it's a two
way thing, right? I was in this with her.
So she had lessons to learn in there.
But I believe I had lessons to learn too, because even that was
the whole premise of our podcastwhen we first started, is the
fact that we are both going to learn from each other.
So what I learned from this whole experience is whether it
was the other times I've tried to do stuff or anything else, I
think being honest with myself, I had to learn that I have to

(05:22):
take flight by myself. And it was kind of scary.
It's kind of being forced on me.But I've, I'm coming to terms
with it and I'm finding the beauty in it because I think
whether it's depending on other people or kind of hiding right
in a, in a crowd of people, in agroup of people.
But learning that there are times in your life, there are

(05:42):
certain things that you have to do that you cannot do with
anybody else. It does not matter who that
person is. It can be your spouse, it can be
your mother, your sister, your twin sister.
You know, it can be anybody in your life that's close to you,
but they're just certain things in life that you have to go at
it alone and it's perfectly fine.

(06:03):
And sometimes it's scary. And if I can be honest with
myself, that's what I was feeling on my end was because
like I told her that I've communicated with her, this was
my last time trying something. And there was a part of me that
felt there's a little bit more safety there trying with
somebody else. But I talk about my faith a lot,
and it will happen here on this podcast.

(06:23):
It will be no different from anything else that I do.
That's not what God wants for us, for us to truly trust him,
right? Trust what he's doing in our
lives, we have to be willing to take flight by ourselves because
guess what? You're not leaning on another
human being. You're not leaning on your own
understanding. You're not leaning on all these.
Sometimes the physical things, you have no choice but to lean

(06:45):
into him. So that's what I've learned from
this experience was putting myself out here by myself, just
being me in all the different facets of Tony.
Hoping that those of you who have subscribed will just
continue to listen and hoping togain some new listeners along
the way. But trust in God, right?

(07:06):
Trust in the plan that he has for my life.
Trust in that he will put me where I'm meant to be.
And that in this part, in this section, in this chapter of my
life as I take flight by myself,that I'm trusting that he will
direct the way. So those were the two takeaways.
And I just knew that I had to come here.

(07:26):
And that's one of the first things I had to do was just
recap what that first season was.
And even as I thought about, OK,now going on my own, I knew that
I needed to leave that first season where it was.
I didn't want to start a whole new show because I think it's
important to leave that there because it's, it's like a
placeholder, right? And like I've said before, she

(07:46):
might not see it now as what it is, but I think one day she can
come back to it. And, you know, I, I feel like we
had some good episodes. I feel like we talked about some
great things after our podcast will come out, I will see
certain things on social media where people will, you know,
say, oh, from a younger woman giving advice to a older woman,
I mean, an older woman or vice versa, older woman giving advice
to a younger woman. So I truly do believe that there

(08:08):
was some influence there that that we did have conversations
and we did spark conversations that other people were able to
have. And that was the whole goal for
that first season. And so I wouldn't come back and
take it away. And sometimes that's the beauty
of life, right? You plan something, it doesn't
go exactly as you planned for itto, but as it evolves and
changes, right, What stays constant is saying, OK, this is

(08:31):
where I am right now. This is where I want it to be,
but this is where I am. And I think this is a perfect
representation of that. I wanted it to be Banta with
Tony and Mimi across generational conversation.
And it was that for the first season.
And it was a great first season,but now it's Banta with Tony,
and I feel like it's going to bea different show.
And who knows what season 3 or 4or 5 or 6 will be.

(08:54):
It might change as we go along, right?
But that's the beauty of it. And I think that's what I have
even come to learn and see is that all versions of Banta, the
past, where it's at now, where it's going to be in the future,
they're all valid and they're insome ways going to tell their
own story. So this is going to be the
season of Banta with Tony as shetakes flight by herself and

(09:15):
figure this thing out. But I am going to give you the
best that I can. And I hope whatever I bring to
the table that we talk about that it leaves you in a better
place than you were before. And I don't think because I have
a mic here, that I know everything I do not.
I make mistakes all the time, whether it's in my walk with
God, whether it's in motherhood,whether it's in friendships and

(09:37):
relationships and figuring things out.
I don't have it all figured out.But what I've come to learn is,
you know, we learn more. We get more when we have
discourse with people, when we're able to talk, when we're
able to say this is what I'm feeling.
And if I bring up something on this podcast today and it
sparked somebody else to start talking about something, as long
as you give me credit because I'm over that part of my life.

(09:59):
I am so over the my ideas and things and stuff being taken
from me and not giving credit. OK, OK, as long as you come back
and you credit this episode and you say, you know what?
I was listening to this podcast by Tony, this individual, and
this is where I got this idea from.
And it made me feel free to use it.
Like ideas, ideas, they're meantto be fluid.
All I care about is like, you know, give me my dues.

(10:19):
Say, you know what? I heard this from her show and
I'm deciding to have my own version of it.
That's it. OK, Because that's the season
I'm in. I've been through too much to be
out here playing with myself. I know.
Well, now you see, you see, now you're getting my brain.
Not that kind of way. Hello.
But I'm just saying I've been through too much to be out here
doubting myself, not knowing my worth, not knowing what I bring

(10:40):
to the table. I know I'm going to bring a
different perspective on things.I know what I bring.
It might not be for everybody, but they're going to be people
who is going to resonate with. And I hope you get to join me
along. OK, so that was that pop
culture. Oh my gosh.
You know, one of the things I say, and I'll be saying it over
and over again, is if you do it,I have to talk about it.

(11:02):
So these pop culture stories, I have to talk about them because
people keep doing stuff. Every time I turn around, there
is something going on in the media.
And I just, even if I try to nottalk about it, I can't, OK.
I mean, you know, people are in like different levels.
You know, some people are like part time fools, Some people are
full time fools. Some people are like maybe 1/4

(11:23):
fools. Some people run a whole foolery
Academy and they're not even aware that they are the
principal of the foolery Academy.
OK. So they're, they're just
different levels. And then some of us, you know,
we are wise, but you know, we have moments of foolishness.
You know, we're all going to be fools at some point.
So if you do it, I'm going to talk about it.
That's just it because it's entertaining to me.

(11:43):
It's funny then we're going to have that part of the show, but
of course, we are also going to dive into just personal stories,
motherhood, health, you know, I'm going to share whatever
books I'm reading at the moment.Music, you already know this,
that there will be some music thrown in here, what I'm
listening to currently and just life, like let's just life
together in this stage that I'm in, in whatever stage you're in.

(12:05):
And just like with the first season, send us your send me.
I keep saying us because I'm so used to the US, right?
Send me your questions. Send me, you know, voices,
notes. Now that I don't even have a
host, more than ever, I need that participation.
So send me your messages, send me your voice notes, add me on
socials and let's do this thing together.

(12:26):
So I really do appreciate you guys for listening to this
episode and I hope you will return again and again and
again. All right, pop culture.
So one of the things obviously TikTok is not going anywhere.
It is where it is. It is what it is.
I just saw something in the newsthe other day about a lawsuit
that's going on as far as with parents, like suing TikTok for

(12:47):
saying that it's addicting and yes that's valid.
But to me, it's almost like doing like hot potato.
We in my household, we've made adecision that our kids will not
have cell phones until they reach a certain age.
Why? Because we have seen whether
it's with cell phones or video games or anything that kind of
takes their attention span away.The iPad, you know, all of that
stuff that we want their to givetheir brains a chance to

(13:09):
develop. We want to give them a chance to
learn some of the like the social aspect, interacting with
other kids, coming up with games, you know, like the stuff
we used to do. There's a reason why there's a
kid somewhere in Africa with a freaking tire and a stick, OK?
Because that's what happens whenyou're bored.
You're like, there's a tire there.
There's a stick. Let me use the stick to push the
Dang tire down the road. So whatever it is that you come

(13:32):
up with, as kids, we just want them to have that.
So it's like when they're hanging out with their friends,
I don't care. Go find the tree in the backyard
and jump off of it. That's what we used to do.
So we really try to limit, like,their screen time and all of
that stuff that they do. Now, this is not in any way to
shame anybody because let me tell you, parenting is not easy.
Do we accomplish that all the time?
No. OK, My daughter still knows.

(13:52):
Whatever the lady this tick tockdances, she still knows all this
stuff. Why?
Because it's around them 24/7. So even though she doesn't have
a phone of her own, she is stillable to get the media through
like YouTube or her friends fromschool.
Like just because we decide thatthat's how we going to run our
house, it doesn't mean that she's not still like living in
the world. Hello, so it's still there, but

(14:13):
what I didn't like about that was I just feel like some of the
parents were playing like hot potato like no, your child got
addicted to tick tock. Yes, the app itself can be
addicted in some ways. You can, you know, be running on
it. Even me as an adult is this is
the truth. It is, but what have you done to
help around with that? Have you, have there been times
you've taken your child's phone away?
Has there been times that you have actually deleted the app?

(14:34):
I mean, are we going to start from there or are we just going
to say we're going to sue TikTokand get some money?
But then you're not going to do anything in your life to
actively change that. So where is that responsibility?
I was just like, I don't really know.
I mean, if it's a money grab, it's a money grab.
It's what it is, but at the end of the day, it is you in your
home. You are the one that creates
this environment for your kids. You're the one that decides.

(14:54):
And sometimes it's been hard forus because you know our kids
will come out. My friend just got the PS six.
Well, that's great. Or I don't even know what PS is
the latest nug and that's fine. But everybody makes their own
choice. It doesn't make one better than
the other. We just decided for us, we
wanted to limit screen time as much as possible.
So we didn't even purchase thesethings.
My daughter has an iPad and my son has like a Amazon tablet.

(15:16):
But like if we notice that they are on those devices too much,
we will take them away for an extended period of time.
She has been without her iPad for probably like six months
now. So it's just what we decide to
do for us. So I think it's just like people
just need to get reminded of that.
Like there's iPhone, whatever. I don't know what the latest
iPhone is, whatever it is, Pro Max, but there's no way that it

(15:37):
says you need to go and buy thatfor your child.
There is iPads out there, but there's nowhere that it says you
must have it for your child. And if you do choose to have it
for your child, it's still your home.
You're still the one leading it.Like the kids are not parenting
themselves. We're still the parents.
So you decide what does that look like for you?
Because maybe you work from home.
So, you know, even though you were around, you still need that

(15:58):
quiet time. So you might say, OK, he or she
can be on the iPad because they get off school at 4:00 and I'm
still working till 6:00. So you can be on the iPad for
those two hours while I'm working because I still need you
to just keep quiet while I'm, you know, finishing work.
But after six, once I'm done with work, I'm taking the iPad.
It's going in my office, it's being put away.
And we are going to do some things together as a family,

(16:18):
cook dinner, do other things, whatever it is.
I ask you how your day was, go through the next day, whatever
our routine is like. And I just want us to remember
that because sometimes it's almost like we get into like
this zombie mode of just, OK, well, that's what everybody's
doing. That's what I'm doing.
Is it really? Is it because you start asking
questions? Sometimes we all are thinking
the same thing. But you know, there's this

(16:40):
impression that, oh, everybody, no, not everybody.
Because I've met enough parents too, that are like, OK, we
really try to work on the screentime or, you know, we don't have
electronics and we don't do that.
And then if you're a parent thatdoes it and you do it, you know,
you, you do it out of like necessity or you choose to do it
and you don't care, then you don't care, you know, but I just
thought that story was interesting.
So another TikTok story and Oh my God, this one just kind of

(17:02):
got under my skin. So there's this lady called
Danisha Gonzalez and she posted this video.
It was a very simple video. Now this video has like 4.6
million views on TikTok where she was at.
I'm, I'm believing it's Target. So she was at Target and she was
in the baby aisle and you can tell like, you know, like when
somebody puts something back. So you can tell.

(17:24):
I mean, it's a lot of assumptiongoing on here.
She's assuming that one until it's a woman and that it's a
mother because, you know, it wasdone in the kids aisle.
So she's assuming that this mother put back the purse in
order for her to buy whatever baby product it was.
I think it was like baby lotion or something.
And this lotion that she would have picked up was like 499.
So is the fact that this mother had to make a decision like, do

(17:47):
I buy this purse or do I, you know, buy the lotion that my kid
needs? And of course, because she put
the purse back, and I'm saying that in like air quotes because
you don't know for sure that's what happened.
It could have just been a lazy worker that didn't want to put
the inventory back where it belongs.
But let's just go with this because I think it brought out
the good and the bad in people. OK, so this purse was in the

(18:07):
section that the lotion would have been.
So then the assumption here is that this mother put down the
purse in order to buy this baby lotion.
So this woman made this video just saying she deserved the
purse. And it was that idea.
Like, these are sometimes the sacrifices that as mothers we
have to make for our children, right?
This person had to decide, I'm going to put this purse down so
I can buy a lotion for my child.And then it makes you think

(18:27):
about all the other times in your life.
I am over here, I'm raising my hand because I can totally
relate. There have been times when,
whether it's with even me doing this podcast or things that I, I
want to do for myself, I'll put other things before it.
Like nobody even tells me to do these things.
But I'll be like, I can't do this.
If my house is not clean. I can't do this if I haven't
cooked this, I can't do this. Like, you know, so it's like

(18:48):
it's automatic for us. Like we tell ourselves, what are
the things that you're saying you can't do?
Because I'm a mother and I have to put my kids first.
So the essence of Denisha's video was just saying this woman
deserve the curse. Like I said, it brought out the
good and bad in people. So then people started going to
the baby aisles and they will put like money.
So they will put like money in the formula.

(19:08):
Like they will just open just the top of it and put some money
in there. Like people could go and get
some Huggies and somebody would sneak like a little $100 bill in
there. Because it's this idea like for
a mom, if you go out there and you're buying these things for
your children, here's a little extra money.
Do something nice for yourself. So like I said, it brought out
the good in people. But then there are some
obnoxious teenagers or I won't even just put it on teenagers

(19:29):
because there's a video that I saw where the lady said she saw
teenagers, but it could be anybody.
So Can you imagine? Now there are people going
around these aisles opening these things.
First of all, when somebody has a baby, they're so like
germaphobic who wants to go and have you opening their freaking
formula and all these things because these people are looking
for the money that people would have hidden inside of there.

(19:50):
And I just feel like this situation just highlights
sometimes, like, what is wrong with us?
Like what people actually inspire to do something out of
kindness. You can't just let somebody have
something. But it's this idea like, well,
it's mine. I'm going to have it.
So yeah, you're doing that act of kindness, but I'm going to
take advantage of it. And it's like, Oh my gosh, I
would have never even thought ofthat.
Like this lady Miss Gonzalez, when she made this video, other

(20:13):
people who decided, you know, let me go around and put money
in those things. Like that is a normal thing to
do it like, OK, you know, just give somebody like a little
surprise. It's no different from like when
you're in the line with somebodyand you say I'm going to pay for
my order and I'm going to pay for theirs too.
Or, you know, just these little acts of kindness that people can
do and you can't even do that anymore.
Like that is the kind of societythat we are living in now.

(20:34):
Mind you, I understand that it'seconomically hard times.
I know that we're in unprecedented times more than
ever before, but I don't know who I was having this
conversation with that I was expressing.
I said, sometimes I feel like inAmerica, people feel like
they're entitled to people's things.
And when they're able to justifyit in their head, then it makes
it OK. So you're able to say, I'm going
to steal from this individual because I have assumed from

(20:55):
looking from the outside that they don't need whatever it is
I'm about to take from them. So I'm OK with taking it and
I've justified it to myself, so I'm going to do it.
So in this same case, it's like,OK, they put some money in the
boxes. I'm going to feel free, like
whatever, it's a free country. Like who told them to be stupid
and put the money in the boxes? OK, So I'm going to go in there
because I feel like what I need,my needs are more important

(21:16):
right now than whatever that other person might.
So I'm going to take it. And we have to work on that
because to be honest, I feel like if it was any other society
that somebody was doing these acts of kindness, you wouldn't
even think about it. I have traveled to places where
somebody's not even going to think to go and take the money.
Like the money, everybody doing it will.
It will stay exactly where it's meant to be and people will go

(21:39):
along by their whatever and be pleasantly surprised.
Like that will not even be something that crosses people's
minds. But that's part of like what we
have kind of fostered in this Society of ours is people
feeling entitled to people's things and then having no
remorse whatsoever. Having like, I don't know if
anybody's losing any sleep thinking, Oh my gosh, I
collected somebody. No, you're not.

(22:01):
You're just like, well, they dropped it and I deserve to have
it. And so I'm going to do that.
So I just thought that video wasreally interesting.
Of course, while I was gone, thenever ending story that we've
all been hearing about for 3-4 weeks.
And I'm not going to go into it giving any details that we
already in or heard. We don't heard about all the
baby one and all that stuff because you know, we tired at

(22:22):
this point. We don't have no more.
But I hope for me, for my perspective, looking at
everything, I hope we we learnedthe lessons that we need to
learn from it. This idea of like what power can
do to people, right? So the power that he has, he was
able to use it to silence peoplein some ways, right?
Because there are people who were helping him facilitate

(22:42):
these acts, but they never questioned it and never stopped
because one, they were afraid ofhow powerful that he was.
And then I'm sure there was monetary gain.
So it kind of kind of goes back to even that story that I was
just share, like the money kind of like makes people or fuels
them to just do some crazy stuff.
So there's that. And then we have to talk about

(23:03):
how do we get to a point like, OK, so we all know he's going to
be the face of it, but then how do you get to decide who also
gets to have consequences, right?
Because right now all the lawsuits are coming out, more
coming out, right? And they're all directed at this
one individual. And it's not looking good.
It's not looking good. We already know it.

(23:23):
You know, it is what it is. It's looking the way it's
looking. You know, at this point it's a
duck. It quacks like a duck duck and a
duck duck. It's a duck.
So it is what it is. But then how do you hold like a
whole system accountable? And then do you trust that that
same system can change? Do you truly believe that?
Because I'm hoping that when this stuff comes out that what

(23:46):
it causes is a lot of people to examine themselves, right?
Little boozy, boozy. Is that how you say boozy?
Oh, Lord, boozy, boozy. I think that's his name.
I remember because I'm a home decor person.
So while I'm home cleaning and doing stuff, I will watch home
decor videos or people giving tours of their house.
So of course, I like to watch like even like the celebrity

(24:06):
ones. Just yesterday I watched the, I
think his name is Jimmy, Jimmy Butler, his Architectural Digest
video. And I loved it.
They did such a great job with his house, but his personality
really got to come through on that interview as well.
And I was like, OK, I've never heard of this guy.
And because I don't watch football, I mean basketball,
see, I even got the sport wrong.I don't watch basketball like
that. But I was like, oh, this is
refreshing. And I liked his personality.

(24:27):
Like he was just being himself. And it was quirky and funny and
all of that. So he has a new follow out of me
on Instagram. And even the, the lady that
designed the house too, I went ahead and followed her as well
'cause she, I felt like she did such a phenomenal job.
So like, I have this thing of like watching people give tours
of their homes or, you know, Studio McGee.
I've watched all the videos, Architectural Digest, I do all
that. So there was a video of Boosie

(24:49):
showing his apartment, his home.He has like how many acres of
land? A lot of land.
And he built, you know, a beautiful home on the land.
But when I was watching this guy's video, I could not even
finish it when 1 sitting. I had to watch half, then come
back to the next day and finish the other half.
Because mind you, every other scene was like, oh, this is
where, you know, we do it at andthis is my boom boom chair.

(25:10):
And this is the boom boom room. And while you're doing it here,
you can watch yourself. And I'm like, why?
What is happening? What is happening?
Why am I watching a video about your house and every two seconds
I have to hear about how you're doing it So when he came out
with the statement kind of like defending the whole thing talk
about well, is it a crime to fly?
I was like, of course you're going to be the one to ask the

(25:31):
question. Is it a crime to fly girls out?
Because that video told me already what I needed to know
about you, Sir. Like, of course, you participate
in some of these activities and probably do not see anything
wrong with them because who goeson TV or YouTube, whatever?
Put yourself out there in the media, show in your home and
half of it is you talking about sex and think that that's normal
behavior. But that is your reality.

(25:52):
So that's normal behavior for you.
So yes, of course you're going to come out and defend these
things. So to be honest, I know a lot of
people have been saying a lot ofpeople have been quiet.
Some of them need to stay quiet because when they speak like the
boozy guy, I'm just like, you were probably guilty too.
Yeah, you probably should have stayed quiet because you ain't
telling us, Sir. We know if you see that video,

(26:13):
you will not be surprised by himmaking those comments because
I'm just like, dude, like your freakishness could not even take
a break for you to show a tour of your house.
Like, I don't need to know that that would.
This dude had a spot in the video where he said this is my
sperm on the chair. Why are you letting us know that
that's the sign you have something else going on?

(26:34):
Like, you can't give a tour of your house without you talking
about sex that much and in such an obscene way.
Oh, my gosh, I could not. So I can go both ways.
The people that are quiet because I know everybody's like,
well, people have been so quiet.Well, yeah, to be honest,
there's nothing right you can say here because if you have
been in some point friends with him and in some point you knew
Cassie, too, and then you probably know a lot of the stuff

(26:56):
that's been going around. Yeah.
Probably keeping quiet is the best thing for you to do.
You do need to keep it at arm's length with a 10 foot pole
because I do feel like if some people start running their mouth
and saying things is going to change how you view and see them
forever. So in the name of, you know, PR
and all that stuff, of course they're going to keep quiet.
I expect nothing less. So that is what it is.
And right now weather wise, we just, I just, you know, for all

(27:17):
the people in Florida, Oh my goodness, I feel so terrible
because I'm like, they just had a rough time.
And I remember seeing there's a church that was doing like
drives and donations and I planned on donating and I'm
still going to, but then now there's this other category 5
coming their way. I haven't checked up yet to see
what the latest update is. But you know, Mother Nature,

(27:38):
man, Mother Nature. I just, I cannot imagine.
And sometimes, you know, life just hits you and it just like
it doesn't stop. So it's like you've already went
through the vadnais of, you know, trying to even semi
recover from one last week. And here comes another one.
And I do feel like the devastation there is going to
be, it's going to be a very enormous devastation that it
will take a while for them to recover from.

(28:01):
And you know, I don't know anybody that's living in
Florida, but anyone that is out there, you know, you're in my
prayers for sure because I cannot imagine you go back.
There's no resemblance really ofyour home.
I mean, the we experienced over here in Texas, both, the last
one we had was a Category 1. And I was like, that was a one.
Trees were uprooted, trees fell in people's homes.

(28:24):
People didn't have life for like2 weeks.
And that was a category one. And you tell them there's a 5.
Good Lord, I know what I went through.
And I didn't even go through that much, let's be honest.
Like when the stuff that hit Texas happened, I think I lost
power for like one day. So even me saying I know what I
went through, girl, I didn't went through nothing really in
the grand scheme of things. There were people who were

(28:44):
without power for two weeks. So my little going through was
not even going through, but I can't imagine now like, and I'm
an empath. So in case you haven't, you
can't tell. That is why I will be thinking
right now about, Oh my gosh, people in Florida, even though I
know nobody in Florida, but I'm like, I'm praying for you.
And of course, we have to be smart.
So if you do want to donate anything, always do your
research. Always try to find somebody or

(29:06):
an organization that you know, you can trust and that funds are
going to be there. And then sometimes it's the good
old fashioned way to like, if you do happen to know somebody
that's out there in Florida, I mean, just ask for their cash
app and send them money that wayor something, you know?
But I hope that we can be betterworld citizens of each other.
And it's like, Oh, my gosh, yeah.
I can't imagine just how much your whole life can change and

(29:29):
you can't control it. Like, that's just nature being
nature. And I know a lot of, like, the
people that have been, you know,talking about global warming,
like, this would be another thing for them to alarm us
about. Like, OK, look at all this, the
level of which things have been happening and the consistencies
of it because men, it was like, what, less than a week or two
weeks apart? Like, that's crazy.

(29:50):
And then, you know, when you look at even the cycle of the
Earth, you know, when you study the short amount of time we've
been on here, yes, you have moments where it's like, yeah,
things happen. I do believe that there are
things that we have caused that have been a result of global
warming, that have been a resultof the pollution and everything
else we've had. And then I do think, like Earth
kind of goes into like the cycles of like, creation and

(30:12):
destruction and, you know, all of that.
So there's that too, because it's almost like a God complex
with ourselves, like, if that makes sense.
Like we just think we created this and we are the ones that
are causing this to happen. Yeah, there's a part there where
we have a role. I'm not going to deny that at
all. But I don't think everything is
to blame because we have done it.
Like some of it is also just like how the world and life and

(30:35):
Earth, even when you study it, like before we came on to it, it
was, you know, flooding and a whole bunch of species don't no
longer exist that used to. I mean, the dinosaurs are no
longer here anymore. So anyways, when you get into
that stuff, then, you know, again, we can have discourse.
Let's get to the place where we can talk about things, where
sometimes we can have opposing views where sometimes I'm not

(30:56):
going to budget and you're not going to budget.
But we're still going to be civil and exist like human
beings that have the ability to think through things.
And that's what separates us from other animals.
Because when we lose that, then we're really saying that we're
no different from the animals wego and see at the zoo.
So we cannot lose that. Like, I can still think
differently from you. I can still do things my way,

(31:17):
and you can still do things yourway, and we can just continue to
float on this earth. The whole point is that when I
listen to you, you might bring things for me in a different
perspective that I've never thought about it before.
But it doesn't necessarily mean that all of a sudden I'm going
to change my viewpoints. But I might say, you know what?
Huh. OK, so next time I'm having this
conversation with somebody, I'llbe like, well, you know what?
I'm aware that this XY and Z canhappen.

(31:39):
However, this is still how I believe sometimes that's all
that interaction is going to do for you.
It doesn't necessarily mean thatI must confuse you now to have
my viewpoint. No.
And for people like me that are very stubborn in this life, good
luck. Because actually, the more you'd
rah rah rah, the more I'm like standing 10 toes down like Nope,
absolutely not not going to do that.
Like the, the, the best way to get me to not do something is to

(32:02):
show me that everybody is doing it.
I'm going to be like, hmm, really.
OK, yeah, that's why I'm going left, 'cause everybody going
right? Yeah, 'cause what I'm not going
to do is just do something just because everybody else is doing
it. So yeah, you tell me.
Everybody's is going right. Yeah, I'm going left.
Oh, everybody's going left. I'm going north.
OK. Yeah.
You know, some of us are just built like that.
Like, we're just not going to. And I think we have to just

(32:23):
spend more time just listening to each other.
The last thing I'm going to bring up is the vice
presidential debate because I dofeel like it reminded me of what
politics used to be. And I hope that we can get back
to it. I hope once all the nonsense
dies down that we get back to that part of just civility and,
you know, manners. And I liked what I saw when, you

(32:44):
know, they had opposing viewpoints, their parts they
didn't agree with. But then when somebody said
something that made sense, you still came out and said, you
know what? I agree with you there.
Can we do more of that, please? You don't need to say Vance is
still the Republican candidate and Waltz is still the
Democratic candidate. I know who exactly I'm going to
vote for. That debate didn't change it for

(33:05):
me. But all I'm saying is that you
are able to say, you know what? I was able to see something from
your side, something that you say you that has you have
opposing views of me. You don't live my life.
I don't live your life. But what you're saying there
makes sense. That can exist.
We need to do more of that. Like you can truly say, you know
what, your viewpoint on this issue, I can never agree with

(33:26):
you. We don't stand on it.
However I see you. However, I see what you're
saying. However, what you're saying
makes sense. And the world will continue to
spin and it will be a much more peaceful place for us to be.
But what happens is that we say this is what I think, and
everybody else must think it too.
And then we go through a whole thing of trying to get people
all to think about it the way that we do.

(33:46):
And then those who don't, we decide that, oh, not only can
they not exist in our world, they cannot exist at all.
What? Come on.
The arrogance of it. All, right?
It's crazy. Oh my goodness.
So before I go, the way we used to format the old show is we'll
kind of talk about pop culture. We will have whatever our core

(34:08):
thing that we wanted to talk about for that episode is, and
then we'll end it with a song recommendation.
For me, it's going to be songs, but sometimes it'll be books too
because I listen to audiobooks alot.
And so if I'm listening to something that I think will be
great for me to share, this would be the part that I also
share it too. So for me, what I wanted to talk
about just a little bit before Igo because I didn't want this

(34:29):
first episode to even be too long, but what I wanted to talk
about today was this idea of like with my faith and my walk.
So I've been going through this journey with my faith.
I was born in the church. I was born in the Catholic
Church actually. And then throughout my
childhood, my parents actually started going to non

(34:49):
denominational church. And in all my adulthood, those
are the only kind of churches I've gone to.
So it's not really a denominational church that I
participate. I've been to Baptist, I've been
to Methodist. So I have experienced like all
the denominations and all that, but I prefer the non
denominational because I think the emphasis should always be on
my relationship with God. So I follow churches where I

(35:10):
have a relationship with God. I don't need to pray to
somebody. I don't need to come to somebody
to confess things. And I talk directly to him.
And when I do my part as far as putting myself, whether it's
through fasting or I'm in the spirit or whatever, then he
speaks through me as well. So I firmly believe that I can
talk to God directly and that hecan talk to me as well.

(35:30):
Now, part of what I've always been like hesitant about
whenever it comes to like me sharing my faith or, you know,
just being me, is that with a lot of things that are there
with me, I don't fit into boxes.So I don't necessarily feel like
I am. I don't know.
Only people out there will have to speak.
I don't know if anybody has seenmy walk or has observed my walk

(35:52):
and has helped them to have a walk with God as well.
Only they can speak for that. I don't know, but I just know it
doesn't look like the typical walk, right, that somebody could
have a God. I think, however, in this season
that I'm in spiritually, it's a season of growth for me.
And it says it in Bible, you know, you speak as a child, but
when you get knowledge, yeah, it's asking for something

(36:14):
different out of you. So for me, I am in that phase of
like I'm no longer supposed to be a child and speak as a child,
but I'm gaining knowledge. I'm experiencing God in a
different level than I've ever experienced him ever in my life
before. So I think life is asking out of
me to grow and one of the thingsI think I've always been

(36:34):
hesitant with. So First things first, I've
always had a reverence for God. There are times when I love
music, I love to sing. There are times when the
opportunity was there for me to like sing worship and I did it
for a little bit, maybe like when I was like 8 or 9, I sang
in like the church choir. But when I was older, there were
times there where there were opportunities for me to like
sing in the choir. And then I was attending a

(36:56):
church one time where I did it for a little bit, but I didn't
consistently do it because I have a reverence for it in the
idea. Like if I'm going to lead
worship, then I need to be in the spirit.
I feel like all week long, right?
And I have to submit myself in that way where God can then
speak to me and use me when I goup there and I'm given worship.
So I never felt like I was living a life worthy enough to

(37:21):
be able to lead worship. I hope people can follow me with
this, right? Because that's just what I have
in my head. Like if somebody is up there and
they're leading me in worship, Ihave to believe that they are in
tune with God and they are just at another level prayer wise.
Like, I'm sorry, I can't have you leading worship and I saw

(37:41):
you at the club yesterday. And so if there's a part of me
that knows I still want to be able to go to the club, then I
know I can't lead worship. Like that's just how it makes
sense for me. So there have been times when
I've hesitated and I've held myself back from doing those
things and participating in thatway because I just felt like the
life I was leading was not worthy enough for me to take

(38:05):
those positions. I hope that makes sense.
So however, I feel like in my adult life right now, there's
been a collision of what I thinkI am and then how and what God
wants to use me. And I feel that strongly.
I truly do because now it's likeI, I know that I can have

(38:28):
influence and I can speak to people in a certain way as far
as with faith, but I know they can easily look at my life in
certain aspects. I'm like, oh, well, this is the
person that's leading with faith.
And, you know, she decides to, you know, wear a swimming suit
that shows her boobs and all these things.
And I would be like, well, yeah,I felt like wearing that
swimming suit that day. But at the same time, I'm like,

(38:49):
afraid. There's fear there of me leading
people astray. Does that make sense?
Like because I am still figuringthings out, but however I've
come to feel at this stage of mylife that I'm in some way, shape
or form supposed to lead things or lead people.
Then I have this tug of war within myself because I'm like,

(39:12):
I still want to be Tony, but there's a version of Tony that's
going to have to emerge that's been called out here.
And then I have to struggle withthe feeling of worthiness, like
I've always said, because I would be like, I'm going to make
mistakes. I'm going to not say the right
things. I'm going to do things that are
not always right. I know where my heart is.

(39:33):
I know what I seek. I know that God speaks through
me. He'll continue to do that.
But then I also know that sometimes it's tough and in me
finding my place and because I'ma human being that comes with,
you know, trauma and experiencesand all these different things,
there's always going to be ways where it gets clouded.

(39:56):
And maybe at this point in my life, it's just me kind of maybe
surrounding myself with different people.
Because I thought about it the other day, I was like, if I had
more friends that were like walking in faith or like they
had like leadership roles in church or whatever, maybe it
might help me see things differently because I'll be
seeing it from a different lens.But I think I still feel like
I'm from the outside looking in,you know, like I'm an

(40:18):
inbetweener. Like I'm not truly accepted into
faith spaces because I truly don't think people look at me
and think, oh, well, she has. And if they do, they might have
judgments and things. But I'm not really like my mom
used to say worldly either. I'm kind of like in between.
Like sometimes I'm there, sometimes I'm there, but maybe

(40:39):
it'll be different if I have that.
And so I wanted to kind of put that out there if anybody else
is in that space, like where you're like an inbetweener like
me, but then there has been likea tug for you to go more deeper
with your walk with God and what's been asked of you, but
you're hesitant there. Because to be honest, I think
I'm very comfortable now being in the in between.

(41:01):
I'm very comfortable saying thatI don't fit here and I don't fit
there and I'm OK with it. But then when I'm asked to go
deeper, that means I have to enter certain spaces, right and
be in those spaces more. And that's going to come a lot
of times more. I feel like with more judgment,
with more people looking becausethen they can say, Oh well, how
can she be on that stage or how can she lead this?
But she's doing this. Or you know, like when they

(41:23):
always going to look for your butts when I was going to look
for the thing that you're doing.And I don't know, because I feel
like I can defend it more when I'm in in between.
But if I'm gearing more towards something else, going more
towards certain things, then it's like almost like I'm at the
mercy of those people. I don't know, it doesn't make
sense. I'm still processing it.
And so I think that's where my hesitancy comes from right now.

(41:45):
And one of the things I've learned in my walk with God is
that he will speak something to me.
And a lot of times it's the amount of time and what it takes
for me to bring that into fruition.
So perfect example, when I was fasting this year during the
Ramadan season for a whole month, God spoke to me and told
me to donate my tithe this year to 12 different churches.

(42:05):
And really how it's going to work is like, he's going to
speak to me and be like, give here, give to this one.
And I have to listen to his voice.
That's it. OK.
There were months when I knew that I was supposed to tithe,
but I'll come up with excuses like, Oh my God, I have to pay
for this, I have to do this, I have to do that, I cannot.
And then there months where I went ahead and I was obedient
and I did what I was supposed todo.
And it was just like a few months ago, I was looking, I was
like, I could have been done with this stuff by now because

(42:27):
it was really only him really asking me to tithe for like half
the year, six months out of the year.
And it's now like prolonged intothis whole thing.
And when we'd be fast like that was like what, March or April?
So I could have been done with it already if I was just
obedient and following it. But I promise you, it's not been
an easy Rd. on this side. I feel like everything that
could go wrong has been going wrong.
Like it'd be like unexpected expense here or you're doing

(42:48):
this here or at the same time, I'm trying to fix this, you
know, and, and I'm still growingas far as with my walk with like
my finances and stuff. So I've been trying to like fix
things and get things better. But I promise you it's like 50
million things will come up. And I'm a strong enough person
in my faith that I know like that's part of like how the
devil will work, right? Because it's like I'm going to
do things. So I'm going to bring up things
that will make you believe that I cannot give that money the

(43:11):
where it's supposed to go because it's difficult right
now. It's hard right now, but it's
just a perception of it because what God gave it to me and he's
asking me to do this with it. And the devil come up with all
types of ways to try to convinceme that, oh, I can't give it
right now because I really need it here or this person needs or
that person. And it's like, you can still
tie, then you can still give offering, like the one is not

(43:32):
dependent on the other. But those are the things that
I've been like battling with. So as I'm working through that,
and then it takes you being likehonest and seeing yourself.
So as I'm seeing myself, right, I'm just like, OK, so this is a
pattern. This is something that I do
where I'm given a word or I'm being asked to do something, but
I drag my feet. And at this stage of my life

(43:53):
now, it was OK at some point, but at this stage of my life
now, what I'm getting is that it's no longer OK.
Like if he asked me to do something today, I need to do it
tomorrow, not six months from now, not a year from now, not
when it's convenient for me, notall of that.
No, when he asked me to do it and I just need to do it.
And it's part of the faith. It's part of the trusting that

(44:13):
if he asked me to do it, even ifI feel like I have obligations
and things to meet, which I'm, you know, we're still going to
be smart with our money. I'm not saying don't pay your
bills and all that stuff. But even if I feel like, well, I
could use it here, use it there,I have to trust that.
Because, yeah, he said he will bless the remaining, right?
So things will fall into place how they're supposed to be.
And that's me having that faith.And so it's a bunch of things.

(44:34):
Because then if you like, come from like a traumatic space with
like, money, yes, it can be veryhard for you to trust that
because you have learned like, this is what I work for myself
and it's what I have tangibly. And this is what I have to
spend. So if I'm now giving this
amount, then that means there's money that I don't have for
that. And it's like, hard for you to
let go of it. So it's been a ride.

(44:55):
And I just wanted to just share that a little bit to just kind
of open up that space. If anybody wants to share, you
know, write a comment, send me avoice note, add it to socials
when I will finally share, you know, clips of this episode on
there. But yeah, when you feel like one
sometimes, like you don't feel like you're worthy enough to
lead things with God. So whether it's a small Bible

(45:17):
study group or like I was given,my example was like praise and
worship because I just didn't feel like what I'm doing is
worthy enough. Like I have to be.
And I still have that idea. Like I'm just saying I will have
to be deeper in my walk and be in that place for me to do that.
I'm not saying that I'm going togo up tomorrow and be like, oh,
I want to be in the church choir.
And I'm just not, yeah, no, I'm saying that's how I view it.

(45:40):
That's where I'm going to require myself.
But if God is saying, like, I dowant you to sing in the choir,
then I'm at the space right now where I'm like, OK, how am I
going to do that? How am I going to be in the
spirit? What am I going to do?
What are the things I have to give up so I can go deeper into
that walk? And then there's a part of, you
know, taking you as you are. So I've been thinking about that

(46:01):
too. Like maybe part of my journey is
God just taking me where I am right now and me trusting that
He have me and the work that needs to be done within me will
be done as I enter these spaces.So maybe all I need to just say
is yes, right? And then before you know it, I
will accomplish those things. As far as if singing, I keep

(46:22):
going back to the singing, just as an example.
But let's say that's what I wantto do.
Next thing you know, I will findmyself in a space where I am
fasting more or I'm spending more time in the world and what
is needed for me to accomplish that or that I know, OK, this is
what's required of me. It will happen, but it won't
happen yet if I don't even say yes and step into it.
You know what I mean? So that's been another part of

(46:42):
it that I've been thinking about.
But just realizing, I think realizing that you must grow.
And that's the beauty of people's walks.
And that's why it's so importantfor people not to judge people
because sometimes you don't knowhow long somebody is going to be
in a particular phase of their life of growth.
And sometimes it's a tug of war.For me, I just know it's been
the comfortability and familiarity with me feeling like

(47:05):
I don't fit in in one area or the other.
And again, this is my own inner battle.
How people perceive me from the outside might be different.
Somebody might look at me from the outside.
I'm like, oh, I always thought you were churchy.
Or somebody might look at me from the outside.
I'm like, I didn't think church at all when I looked at you.
But this is what I have been struggling with within myself.
So, you know, it's one thing youknow, to do what you're being

(47:27):
asked, right? But it's another thing to
actually do it. Does that make sense?
OK, It's one thing to know what you're being asked.
That's what I wanted to say, to know what you're being asked.
I know for sure what I'm being asked, but it's another thing
completely to do it and I'm working through that.
And oh, so with the whole tidying thing, one thing I
wanted to share was that, you know, I was told to give to 12

(47:48):
churches throughout the year, totithe to 12 churches.
And then when I looked up the significance of the number 12 in
the Bible, it kind of blew me. I shared it on my threads, but I
have like 171 followers on threads.
Nobody might see anything that Ishare on there, but I shared it
on there because I felt like it was significant because once I
looked at it was like 12 is justa number of ordered.

(48:10):
Like there's just so many thingsthat God did in the Bible that
was just like done in 12. Like there were 12 disciples.
So I had read up on it and it was just like, the number shows
up so much. So what I took it at is, is
multidimensional. I feel like the churches that
God is talking to me to donate to, I don't know what they might
be going through. Some of them I feel like things

(48:31):
are not working out for them andsome of them I feel like things
are. But I feel like God is going to
bring order to those churches that I am donating to.
I'd wholeheartedly believe that.And then I feel like it's also
for me too. I feel like when I accomplished
this, that God is asking me to, that he will also bring order
into my life as well. So in the areas that I feel like
are disordered and disordered orwhatever, like I will have more

(48:52):
clarity. So this conversation that I've
been feeling like I've been having with myself as far as God
is calling me to do more, but I don't know if I'm going to fit
in or if I'm going to be accepted or I'm going to be
looked at as worthy enough. And I don't even know if I see
myself as worthy enough. I feel like when I accomplish
what he has asked me to do, which I should have been done
with already, once I accomplish that, I think I'll gain a better

(49:14):
sense of clarity with it. And so for me then it's made me
see like, you know, everything in life is intertwined.
It's all together like I'm seeking clarity in my life in
what I'm thinking of doing next or how I'm thinking of pursuing
my relationship with Him even inlike my studies with school or
with work. I just feel like when I do this

(49:34):
act and finish what He has askedme to do that there will be
order in all aspects of my life.And that's the beauty of going
on this walk with God is like ittranslates into so many other
things. So anyways, I didn't want to be
on here for too long, like I said, but I just wanted to share
that in hopes that it might bless somebody out there or it

(49:54):
might get somebody out there that's maybe been feeling the
same thing to share. Maybe you're on the other side
of it. Maybe you are, you know, a few
steps ahead of me and you've been where I am.
And like I said, I love discourse.
Chat with me, send me a message,send me a video, anything.
Tag me, talk to me directly, please.
But anyways, just share what it is that you, you might have some

(50:17):
wisdom that might help me in this my moment.
But I'm working through it. I'm very hopeful and I'm 100%
sure that I'm going to get the the right answer.
It's just a matter of when, whenit's going to come and when it's
going to happen. But that's where I wanted to
leave this. And it is that idea like, you
know, I am leaning on God and I'm leaning on my faith and I

(50:39):
think I'm being asked to do it in a way I've never done it
before. And it's scary about at the same
time, I feel relieved too, right, because it's, it's almost
like I am taking where I've always felt like I, I decide
what am I going to do next? How am I going to do it?
How am I, you know, how, how, how, how I've always been the
architect. And it's like, girl, just rest.
And I'm just like, there's certain things that I have seen

(51:03):
that I'm just like, is that you God moving in that way?
But it's like, I don't want to completely, you know, so I'm
still working through stuff. But again, I just want to come
on here and just be honest and just talk about where I am and
hopefully other people can relate.
And next time, you know, we'll dive into another topic and
another thing. And that's really what I hope

(51:24):
Banta with Tony will get to be. We're going to have fun.
It's going to be entertaining, but I want us to, you know, be
better a year from now, two years from now, five years from
now, just be in a better place than we were.
So if you feel like this is something you can be part of,
please go ahead and subscribe. Go ahead and share this podcast
with anybody. And remember, talk to me.
I want people to talk to me. Please talk to me.

(51:48):
So before I go, my song of the week, you already know what's
coming. You already know what's coming,
my song of the week. So I have a playlist on Spotify
that I call pumpkin spice and toffee.
So that has like, well, my mother would say my worldly
music, my worldly music is on there.
But I've been liking this song called category.

(52:09):
You know, like let me tell you, I always call this my ox la de,
but I don't know if it's oxalate, but me African guy.
So I say ox la de la de Oh, but it might be oxalate.
But the song is called category,and I like the, you know, like
the way he spells it is the way that we will say it when we are
speaking with our Africa accent.Category, category with Ox, late

(52:33):
Ox, la de. That's my pop song of the week.
And then my gospel song. Oh my gosh, Oh Mima by Chandler
Moore has had me in a chokehold.Oh, man, you leave the 99 always
for the one. Yeah, that song that had me in a

(52:55):
chokehold. I cannot stop singing it.
My even my son requested in the car.
It's just, you know, I just feellike God was just going through
him and look at that. He's sweet.
Surrender. He has surrender himself.
You can't see. It is evidence.
It is evidence. It's very evidence.
But yeah, just oh, there's so many parts of that song that I
was just like, OK, now you over here flexing on them with the

(53:15):
vocals. Flex them.
Go ahead, but Omi Mabai, Chandler Moore, that song has
been on loop for a good minute. It is beautiful.
It is a beautiful blessing to myears and my soul and I love it.
So it's only my by Chandler Moore and then my regular song
is category by Oxlade category. As far as books, actually I do

(53:40):
have a book that I do want to share that I was reading
recently Between Friends and Lovers by Shirlene O Booby O
Booby. Shirlene O Booby Between Friends
and Lovers. It's a great novel and I just
finished it and I liked it a lot.
It was good. I have premium Spotify, so I'm
able to listen to audiobooks on there.

(54:02):
So I listened to that and it wasgood for somebody that's like in
the medical field. And then the main character is
also a Ghanaian girl. Like it was it was just, it
checked off a lot of marks for me that just kept me engaged and
it was a good, good listen. And so I will recommend that
one. Between Friends and Lovers by
Shirlene Obouobi. That's what I'm read.
Actually. I think I finished it now.

(54:23):
Yeah, I sure did. Sure.
I was like I maybe I have like 1chapter I left.
No, I have finished it. So when I start reading
something else, if it's something that I I like, I will
definitely go ahead and share. But I hope you guys have a
wonderful week. Thank you for coming on the very
first episode with me. I hope you will return for next
week and the week after that andthe week after that.

(54:43):
And you know, I'm just putting it all in God's hands.
I'm just letting him do His work, do what He's going to do,
and then I'm just going to be here showing up.
And showing up sometimes is evenhard, OK 'cause life becoming
and life be lifing, but it's still got to pop out and show
up. OK.
So you guys have a wonderful, wonderful week and I will catch
you on the next episode. Bye bye.

(55:07):
You just finished an episode of Banta with Tony.
Did you like it? I hope you had a great time and
that you have some takeaways from this episode.
But before you go, I want to askyou one thing and that is to
share this episode or this entire podcast with a friend,
family member, or acquaintance. Because remember, when you have
something good, you need to talkabout it, you need to share it

(55:28):
and you need to shout it from the rooftops.
So go on and let people know in your life that you have this
wonderful podcast that you wouldlike to share with them.
I appreciate you. I appreciate your time, your
support and everything else in between.
And remember, if you do it, I have to talk about it.
Have a great week.