Amy Tallo on finding rest

In this episode, Amy Tallo shares about her journey towards living a more restful and intentional life. She shares recommendations for loving a spouse who doesn’t believe the same things you believe, finding rest for busy moms, the power of your “yes” and your “no” and some helpful resource recommendations we’ve linked below. Amy and Sarah will even poke at your calendar, empowering you to say “no” so that you can say “yes” to the right things. 

Today’s question: How are you resting? 

Drop us a message on social media or email us at podcast@sarahgood.com. We want to hear from you!

Discover more about our guests:

Follow Be Still Ministries: https://www.facebook.com/bestillministriesmo
Be Still Ministries website: https://www.bestillministriesmo.com/
Follow Amy on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amymccollomtallo

Favorite quotes from the episode:

"It's so amazing to watch my husband do something that he really loves and that it's glorifying God at the same time.”

“When you say “no” to something, you don't have to justify your no.”

Quoting Sandra Stanley from Breathing Room, “Don't trade what's uniquely you for something someone else can do.”

“If you say yes to something that God is not calling you to do you're stealing it from the person that's supposed to be doing it.”

From Sarah, “Our calendar seems so simple but it is not. It is work; you have to work to be able to say the right yeses.”

Quoting husband, Nick: “Time is only an issue in the absence of value.”

"Where's my value? Is it more valuable for me to watch the next episode of my show or is it more valuable for me to spend time in the word?”

Speaking to husbands, “Be humble enough to admit, ‘Yes, I need rest. I’m worn out and exhausted.’”

Fun things from the episode:

Amy recommended the Pause App

The Purpose Driven Life 

Sandra Stanley’s Breathing Room

Amy’s  “Is it Good or is it God?” interview with Fearless Women

Upcoming Free “All In” event with Altered Ministries

Joshua Becker’s The More of Less book

Ruth Barton Haley’s Books https://amzn.to/3AvC39l | https://amzn.to/3jLXEDI

2Rivers Church Bible reading plan 

YouVersion plans: Sacred Rest | Holy Hustle 

View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/mabTr27Ez5w
Share your thoughts: podcast@sarahgood.com

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Show notes may contain affiliate links. This is at no extra cost to you but does help support telling more stories that bring more good. Now that is something good! Thank you for your kind support.

Transcript

Sarah:
[2:27] Hey friends welcome back to now that something good podcast today in the studio I have my friend Amy so hey.

Amy Tallo:
[2:34] Hi

Sarah:
[2:35] This is Amy Tallo I'm going to give her a chance to just tell a little bit who she is but I'm going to give a little back story first of all if you're listening this is,
first episode of season 2 and we're just starting it off if you listen to the last episode will real and I shared you know we've been in a weird cycle needed to take some time off and Amy as you're going to hear us talk
I think is the perfect right person for us to have today to share some stories about rest and simplification and just all the things but a me start by telling us a little about who you are and your family.

Amy Tallo:
[3:06] So I met me as you mentioned and I have a husband Nick we just celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary,
we are high school sweethearts actually for people.

Sarah:
[3:17] Might hear about that in a minute okay yep.

Amy Tallo:
[3:19] So I am a pastor's wife which if you would have told me that 16 years ago when I married Nick our to said nah nope that's not us so that's another another story Maybe,
we have four kids Mason's 14 Ava's 11 Brady is 6 and JC is our Caboose and she's three,
yes so I homeschool the kids part time they go to a university model school where they attend three days a week and their home the other two and we do school at home on those days,
and then I'm also the president of a Ministry called Be Still Ministries of been doing that for about two years now.

Sarah:
[3:57] Okay awesome so tell everybody because we've got a lot of ground to cover but how do we know each other.

Amy Tallo:
[4:02] So Sarah and I met probably 12 13.

Sarah:
[4:09] Probably yeah.

Amy Tallo:
[4:10] 2rivers Church.

Sarah:
[4:12] So we met when neither one of us your husband was not on staff and I was not on staff we just went to church together.

Amy Tallo:
[4:17] Right correct.

Sarah:
[4:20] And then do you want to just give the high-level story of how you guys got back to 2rivers.

Amy Tallo:
[4:25] So we were attending 2rivers before we even got married some friends from college Nick became a believer in college we started attending to reverse together so we were there from about 2004 to 2010,
we were in 2010 we were living in West County and 2Rivers was meeting out in Wentzville and it with two young kids it was just becoming a lot to drive that far
and so a mentor of Nyx actually had started pastoring a church much much closer to our home and he kind of asked Nick to come along with him and,
kind of Infuse some new blood and do what was going on in that small church and so we left two rivers just because of geography really,
and so,
long story short that's Nick's story but he ended up going into Ministry we were several years later living in Warrenton Nick was part-time at a church and had a full-time job
and run the past our pastor at Two Rivers called and said hey,
I want to talk to you a little bit about this opportunity to maybe come be our executive pastor and it very quickly unfolded that way and so that was in 2016,
that we came back to Two Rivers so it's been five years.

Sarah:
[5:40] That's crazy I just was telling somebody the other day I'm like I think this is he started in June so it's been five years.

Amy Tallo:
[5:45] Yeah yep five years.

Sarah:
[5:46] That's crazy okay Amy back way up to us just give us the short version of how you said your high school sweethearts so just tell us I know this is probably a huge story and Nick's not here to defend himself,
but tell us the story how you guys met just give us the little hide the highlights of.

Amy Tallo:
[6:04] So we grew up in Warrenton Missouri so it's a small town it was much smaller than and we were actually in the same second grade class.

Sarah:
[6:10] That's all.

Amy Tallo:
[6:12] Funny yeah and so if we have our old yearbooks and if you go to our second grade yearbook,
next copy of it he went through and like put circles and little comments around the people in the class and there's one girl in particular that he put a heart and he wrote the word babe and then on mine he circled it in wrote
okay.

Sarah:
[6:32] Oh my goodness okay I feel like we're going to get a picture of this to post on the podcast like the show okay.

Amy Tallo:
[6:37] I can make that happen so Nick and I
I kind of had the same like mutual friends I mean it wasn't a big school we graduated with less than 200 people in our class but our senior year we ended up having four classes together and so we just kind of started spending a lot of time together
and hanging out on the weekends and,
we started dating in our senior year of high school went to separate colleges stayed dating got married our last year of college,
I was able to finish my student teaching and st. Charles County he was at Lindenwood so we lived in Lindenwood marriage housing.

Sarah:
[7:09] Wow okay sure that was fun.

Amy Tallo:
[7:11] Yeah yeah it was lovely while we finished our degrees and the rest is history.

Sarah:
[7:16] That's crazy okay so then talk to us I mean tell me about your story and your faith Journey have you always grown up in church I have you always had a relationship with the Lord how does that all fit in everything.

Amy Tallo:
[7:26] Did you want this to be a therapy session.

Sarah:
[7:27] I know hey that's what we do best here stop no sky.

Amy Tallo:
[7:31] Okay so yeah I was brought up in a Southern Baptist Church and a Christian home,
there's a lot there long story short my parents divorced when I was almost 16,
and so that had a big impact on my faith journey and I was not walking with the Lord I do believe I was saved as a young child,
but life circumstances I just was not walking with the Lord in high school and even early college back to our story Nick was not a believer,
when we met and started dating so we were not walking with Jesus at all,
and so actually my sophomore year of college my step sister gave me the book The Purpose Driven Life for my.

Sarah:
[8:13] Really okay.

Amy Tallo:
[8:14] What she's a few years older than me and it's funny because we didn't always necessarily exchange gifts for our birthday so I really feel like it was God's Divine appointment to give me that book and I took it back so my birthday is in December so it's halfway through,
my sophomore year of college and,
I think even leading up to that God had been like nudging me to say you are not honoring me with your life or with this relationship and so through reading that book God really just was like,
hey you need to pay attention to what you're doing with your life and you were created to glorify me and you're not.

Sarah:
[8:51] Okay okay.

Amy Tallo:
[8:52] And so I had talked to Nick and he'd be okay with me sharing this I had talked to Nick previously about like well what do you think about God.

Sarah:
[9:00] Yeah yeah.

Amy Tallo:
[9:01] And he very quickly would shut me down and say well that's okay for you but I don't want to talk about that and so,
I really started thinking and praying like God what do you have for me for this relationship for my life because we were moving toward becoming more serious,
and I knew deep down I did not want to marry someone who didn't share the same Faith beliefs that I did,
because I wanted to raise my kids my future kids and a you know Mutual believing household and so I just prayed pretty like specifically God either change his heart,
or make it clear that I need to end this relationship because I did not want Nick to quote do the church thing for me.

Sarah:
[9:45] Right right.

Amy Tallo:
[9:46] Because that's not lasting and that's not genuine and I knew that wouldn't not that wouldn't end well.

Sarah:
[9:50] Yeah absolutely.

Amy Tallo:
[9:51] Um and so it was within just a few short months that God very quickly worked and next life and I won't tell his story but basically,
brought him to his knees and Nick would say I was not even looking for God but he reached into Nick's life and just yeah saved him and so we,
changed our lifestyle got engaged like that fall and we were supposed to get married a year and a half later,
at the time we were attending 2rivers and Ron gave a sermon about I don't even remember what it was about but I remember him saying that the world would tell you go to college get a good job then find someone get married.

Sarah:
[10:36] Yeah yeah.

Amy Tallo:
[10:37] He said I don't see that in scripture and so Nick and I were like okay we don't need to wait as long as.

Sarah:
[10:44] Yeah yeah.

Amy Tallo:
[10:44] The world tells us and so we moved our wedding up a year and.

Sarah:
[10:49] That's awesome so Mac this is when I talk about unexpected twists you never know where our conversation is currently
maybe they're married and they're in a different spot or maybe they have friends or family members that just aren't Believers what encouragement would you just give to somebody in that same,
place in space and I know you said you prayed a lot for Nick but was there anything else I'm sure it had to be hard to not be nagging or just how to maneuver all that what would you say to somebody else in the same spot or any encouragement.

Amy Tallo:
[11:28] Well first off I would say you just described many different scenarios and so if we had time or if I was speaking to those specific scenarios it would be maybe a little,
what I'd say to them I would always say that prayer is number one find people who will give you Godly wise counsel that comes from scripture not that comes from the world because it's two very different things,
I would say be patient because God doesn't always answer in our timing,
but I would also say that you have to be bold and sometimes you have to make decisions that are difficult and in your flesh or and you know your first response you wouldn't want to make those decisions but sometimes God calls us out,
certain situations I would never tell someone to leave their marriage that's a different conversation but I have actually had the great opportunity on Retreat to witness to a girl that attended,
with a very similar situation we can come back to that later if you want but yeah.

Sarah:
[12:26] That's great Amy so you talked about how you guys you're a teacher,
Nick was in the financial industry doing stuff and then one day tell us the store it how did it go from okay we're doing these things and now we're going to go in a hundred percent.

Amy Tallo:
[12:41] Yeah yeah.

Sarah:
[12:42] Be in vocational Ministry work for a church all this stuff tell a little bit just what happened what were you thinking.

Amy Tallo:
[12:49] I have my degree in elementary education but we knew we wanted to have kids right away so I never entered full-time teaching after college and Nick was part of a financial company and doing very well and had big hopes to make,
lots of money and you know of course do all the good things with all the money but that's what we were doing and that's what we're focusing on and,
then the market crashed the housing market crashed and what 2008.

Sarah:
[13:17] Yeah somewhere yeah.

Amy Tallo:
[13:19] Now times whatever 2008 I think and part of his income was mortgages and are so half our income went away,
and so he gritted it out for a while and again I don't want to tell like his whole story but he
you fine with me sharing to and we found ourselves or he found himself borrowing money from,
lots of places just to pay our bills we weren't like living some crazy expensive lifestyle we I was staying home which was a decision that we felt that was what God wanted me to do,
but we just weren't making enough money so he decided to leave that industry.

[13:58] And had a lot of like down on his knees moment and his mentor Rick by Siddiqui who is our pastor at the time at LifePoint said hey we need a youth leader,
it wasn't a paid thing it was just a volunteer but we need to youth leader Nick would you want to come do that and so that was Nick's first like entry into Ministry,
and then a couple years later,
timeframes escaped me but a couple years later he started meeting up with her friend out in Warrenton that he had gone to high school with and they were working out at the gym together,
and he had recently become the senior pastor of a newer church out there and needed someone to come alongside,
and so he became the associate pastor bear part time so it was just kind of through this series of weird circumstances and really it was through,
worldly failure what what the world would say that we failed or that he failed but it was just God had to bring Nick to his knees in order to build him back up.

Sarah:
[15:00] That's great so how did you feel about all this change what did you think about like,
you said like I never would have thought I'd be a pastor's wife like and I think we can probably talk for a minute there's a lot of,
cliches about being a pastor's wife that are just not true anybody in Ministry like there's kind of this perception that,
your life you got it all together you read your Bible 24/7 your kids are perfect your life is perfect nothing ever happens and.

Amy Tallo:
[15:25] Spend 20 minutes with us and you'll figure out that that's not true.

Sarah:
[15:28] We can both tell you there is no point I grew up in a Ministry Home you're we work together now and there's just none of that is true but so how did you feel about though walking into this and stepping into that what was going through your mind what was God doing in your heart,
in your life.

Amy Tallo:
[15:43] God's just so gracious and I don't even know that I ever had those thoughts or those doubts I think part of me was just so excited for Nick because I saw like this passion ignite in him,
and so I was just especially when we came to Two Rivers and he was able to leave his full-time job which he liked his former job and he loved the people he worked with but it wasn't something he was,
and so as I saw him,
wrestle with this like tension between I want to pour into this ministry position that I have part-time but I still have this full-time job and then he was going to school and getting his master's to,
so it was like I just saw this tension in him where he wanted to do so much more for the Lord but just couldn't,
and so when we came to 2rivers I often make the joke it was like the Mother Ship calling us home it's kind of silly but.

[16:37] I really had felt years ago like I left a piece of my heart at Two Rivers that's where we had first gotten involved in a small group,
really had seen what loving people and being the church,
up like and so we left like I said because of geography and I loved the people at our,
churches and made some great relationships there and God used us there for the time he had us but I'm just,
it's so amazing to watch my husband do something that he really loves and that it's glorifying God at the same time I'm just happy to be able to come along and support him in that.

Sarah:
[17:14] Yeah I love it I love it well Nick is a huge blessing to us at 2Rivers even though he bothers me a little bit on staff but that's okay we have a brother-sister relationship yes that's how it is for him,
okay so fast when I met you talked about in our intro that you started a Ministry called Be Still Ministries and so you just got to back us up because I know God did some huge things I've
got the privilege to know you as all this started but there's actually parts of the story because Amy and I like we're together but we don't often just get to sit and have a bunch of
relation so I know I'm going to learn something here too but talk to us about what was going on you said you started this two years ago
that probably that year before ish time what was going on what led you to start a Ministry why this just kind of start telling us all about that.

Amy Tallo:
[17:58] Sure okay so in May of 2019 Nick and I were able to get away for a few days,
and get on vacation by ourselves and it was a few hours car ride we went to Door County Wisconsin which is a great little place to go,
and I think you had actually shared this podcast with the staff on Carrie new Hoff's podcast but with Ruth Haley Barton,
which I know you mentioned her in your last episode of,
cast so he is interviewing her in this podcast talking about how important rest and Retreat and all these things are and it just perked my ears up,
and it obviously did to Nick to because he shared it with me in the car and so,
to back up a little bit for the year previous Nick and I and our family had really noticed that things were just,
crazy and chaotic and not in a good fun way in our family and in Ministry and in life and so we had just started to be very intentional about it kind of started with minimalism,
throw that term around Loosely because I think that conjures up this image of everything you own on your back hiking through Europe and obviously that's not what I'm talking.

Sarah:
[19:11] Right.

Amy Tallo:
[19:13] But um,
we just realized that we were drowning and stuff and because of the stress of the stuff it was impacting Our Lives you know we had these for kids,
our our son Brady is what I would call extra and he,
which is another whole conversation for another day but he struggles with some things and,
things were just really crazy and we weren't in a good place as a family and so we kind of started just getting rid of stuff and it's amazing if you've never liked just purged even a closet like it feels like physical weight is being lifted off of you,
so we kind of caught that bug and went through our whole house and just got rid of stuff,
so then we started looking at our calendar like what are we saying yes to that we don't need to be saying yes to.

Sarah:
[20:03] Yeah yeah.

Amy Tallo:
[20:04] I think it's important when you're talking about your calendar this is kind of a side note but when you say no to something,
don't have to justify your know,
like it's okay to just say no to a committee it's okay to just say no to an invitation you don't have to give a reason sometimes it's just because you don't need to add something else to your calendar and that's okay.

Sarah:
[20:29] Okay so I need you to say that one more time for the people in the back because we struck this is a big thing will am I,
what about it and whether you're a people pleaser no matter your season of Life all of us can struggle with how to say no to things so say what you just said again you don't have.

Amy Tallo:
[20:43] You don't have to justify your no and a friend of mine Jen actually shared that with me and I was like that's life-changing,
give so much freedom and people won't always understand that or accept that and they'll want you to justify,
but if you have a good enough track record with those people that you're saying no to they're going to understand that there's a good reason that you're saying no and they're hopefully not going to push you on it,
so sometimes no means no because I've had seven things on my calendar in a row and day 8 I just need to not do something.

Sarah:
[21:17] Yeah yeah they don't need to know all that no.

Amy Tallo:
[21:19] But they don't need to know all that if you know that and you and your spouse or an agreement no can just mean no.

Sarah:
[21:24] Right and I feel like you learn we often work to justify our nose to people that and hear what I'm going to say very carefully,
that are not worth the justification now a family member like you said there's a relationship if somebody's closer in and they really care but these side people the,
PTA at your kids school they'll whatever it is they do not need to know like I said they don't need to know all that and we get so worked up sometimes about having to say to no to those things like nobody won they don't really care,
and we talked about you heard I remember Amy actually texted us when she was listening to our last podcast it was great just like I think we're living the same life I like yes yes we are.

Amy Tallo:
[22:02] Yeah which tells you that there's other people that are listening that are also living that.

Sarah:
[22:07] Yes yes I'm had to find something a minute while we're talking because the lady sent me a really cool graphic that I think will help but we get so worked up about having to say no to things right like I know there have been times where I have said yes to things that I have known I cannot handle,
cannot do I don't want to do which row is a feel but I said yes because I felt obligated or I was afraid somebody wouldn't understand or they're not going to like me or because of my position sometime you like
am I going to make somebody mad and it's like hey every no is a yes to something else and we forget that part right.

Amy Tallo:
[22:41] So I have two really good nuggets,
so one of them is from Sandra Stanley's Breathing Room study she says don't trade what's uniquely you for something someone else can do.

Sarah:
[22:53] That's great.

Amy Tallo:
[22:54] So let me explain that so don't trade what's uniquely you so in this for me personally I am the only wife for Nick tallow.

Sarah:
[23:02] Yes.

Amy Tallo:
[23:03] I am the only mom for my four kids I'm the only sister for my sister Kelly,
I right now I'm the only founder of Be Still Ministries

,
okay so don't say yes or what I say oh don't trade what's uniquely use so those are the things that are uniquely Amy tallo,
for something someone else can do so like you said PTA president whatever fill-in-the-blank committee,
those are things that someone else can do now there are seasons where we are called to do.

Sarah:
[23:40] Absolutely yeah.

Amy Tallo:
[23:40] Those other things but it doesn't mean that we always have to say yes to those things I think they should be prayed about and discussed with the people closest to us,
and sometimes we are supposed to say yes so here's my other nugget,
if you say yes to something that God is not calling you to do you're stealing it from some from the person that's supposed to be,
it so I'll give you an example personally so I recently I have been teaching at my kids school the past two years and this coming school year I've decided that I'm not going to do that because,
I was spreading myself too thin.

Sarah:
[24:19] Mmm Yeah.

Amy Tallo:
[24:20] And so I felt like of all the things in my life that's the one thing someone else can do for right now so,
I got an email from somebody at the school God bless her lover great friend of mine asking me if I would like to be the head of the certain committee or project at school for this year,
and so I actually had my response typed up yeah I'd love to and then I was like wait a second,
I haven't thought about this I haven't prayed about it and after praying about it and really thinking,
no I just left my job there so I could focus on these other things I probably could do that but I'm going to say no and I just was very honest and I said it's my first instinct to say yes,
but I really need to take a year and just be involved and I'm happy to help and things but I can't be in charge of anything right now.

Sarah:
[25:16] That's so good Amy because like I said I think the calendar our calendar seems so simple like it's all but it is not and it is work like you have to work to be able to say the right yes isn't it
control so this lady sent me to thing I love this on if you ever heard it she said that she goes through it's called don't have fog when you have to make a yes or no decision so it's
often times we will say things out of fear obligation or guilt like we will say yes and I was like that's so good like don't be,
when you met fear obligation or guilt and I know that happens a lot because like I said we're afraid what are they going to think what's going to happen we feel obligated like even when it when they're good thing,
and I know we've had conversations I mean I people asked about this a lot and I will talk to them like it's the it's easy to say knows when they're things you don't want to do,
it's easy to say no when like literally there's something else on your calendar those are easier it is very hard to say no when it is something that you are can be passionate about that you could enjoy that you could be good at those are when it's.

Amy Tallo:
[26:16] I love teaching and I'm good at it God has gifted me with that you know with those strengths but I had to say no through for this time of for this period and.

Sarah:
[26:25] Absolutely right.

Amy Tallo:
[26:26] Bring me back to that at some point and maybe he won't but for right now I had to say no.

Sarah:
[26:30] Yeah and so I know we have so many more things to talk about I don't want to jump her out past this because I think this is huge so like what other practical things would you tell people just like with calendar in general not even with nose but just
best tips and again this is all going to where everybody season is different you have to know your life but what other things would you say about the calendar and.

Amy Tallo:
[26:48] So for us practically this is for the tallo family we only do one sport at a time so,
now that means like / kids so like Mason can.

Sarah:
[27:00] Which adds up quickly.

Amy Tallo:
[27:01] It does Mason can't be both playing soccer and baseball at the same time now there are seasons where things overlap because the seasons ending and this one start and that just happens,
but I'm not signing Brady up for soccer and baseball at the same time I'm not signing Ava up for all the things right,
we have to be pretty choosing number one it gets expensive,
yeah anybody with kids knows those activities add up so one sport at a time as my rule and so that's for us,
we are pretty protective of our Sundays,
we use that as a family day I wouldn't necessarily call Sunday our Sabbath which we could talk about another time or later if you want to but because it's a work day for Nick that's not our technical Sabbath but we do try to use that as a family day.

Sarah:
[27:51] Right okay.

Amy Tallo:
[27:53] So we made the decision a long time ago our kids would not play sports on Sunday mornings will be in church and if there's a game in the afternoon great,
but we're not going to pull out of and I'm not trying to step on anybody's toes because I know there's a lot of people out there that,
don't feel that way and that's totally fine you have to make that work for your family but for our family were not going to skip church.

Sarah:
[28:15] Yeah let's go.

Amy Tallo:
[28:16] To play ball or fill in the blank and don't hold me to that because there might be situations down the road.

Sarah:
[28:23] Right sometimes things happen right but.

Amy Tallo:
[28:26] As a general rule and then we are we do try to take a Sabbath every day whether it's Friday or Saturday or however that works.

Sarah:
[28:35] So I'm sure you'll talk about that a little more when we get to but talk about that for a minute for people listening who maybe one don't know what Sabbath is or what that means what is it and why is it important.

Amy Tallo:
[28:44] Okay so if we want to talk about what is it we have to look back to Genesis and creation right so God created this world in six days and on the seventh day he rested and so I teach on my retreats,
if that was good enough for God why isn't it what we should be doing to,
so I say arrogantly we've abandoned this pattern that God set up in the beginning because we feel like what we're doing is much more important than what God has planned for us which is rest,
and so what does rest look like what does a Sabbath look like well that's going to be different for every person and so I think it's actually Ruth Haley Barton that talks about,
only doing the things that bring you Joy so if you get joy from a 20 mile bike ride do it not not going to be what I'm gonna do on mice.

Sarah:
[29:31] Yeah probably not mine either.

Amy Tallo:
[29:35] If you get true Joy from like organizing a closet great do it.

Sarah:
[29:39] Yeah yeah that might be on my list Amy it's good me too.

Amy Tallo:
[29:42] Me too some days yes but do the things that only fill your cup not that drain you,
so and then also just intentional time to be quiet with the Lord and spend time in the word and I'm preaching to myself here because as you know with four kids and life and Ministry it's crazy and,
to carve out that time you have to be intentional and you have to be able to say no to things and it's hard it's hard but it's so necessary and like I said if it was good enough for God then it probably is good for us too.

Sarah:
[30:13] No that's great and so I think that's probably a good jumping point for why you even started Be Still Ministries and I know we jumped in you talked about minimalism calendar but then keep telling us that story about how you got to starting a whole Ministry.

Amy Tallo:
[30:27] Sure so we listen to this podcast so,
back up a couple weeks before we left I think we were supposed to stay four nights and something freed up and Nick schedule and he said hey,
let me if we could get the fifth night like cheaper would you want to do that and of course do you even have to ask but.

Sarah:
[30:48] Because this was without kids right yeah.

Amy Tallo:
[30:49] Yeah yeah and at this point they were like 149 and 12 or whatever so,
he texts the Airbnb guy or emailed him and we were able to get a fifth night right so we had you know when you travel and especially when you go to somewhere new and you don't know if you'll go back there you're always like oh well I want to see this and I want to do this I'm going to go to this restaurant and do this,
planned it all out right so now all of a sudden we have this extra day and night and so we decided we're going to do nothing,
we're just going to wake up when we wake up we're going to lounge around our Airbnb apartment that we're paying for,
and so that coupled with listening to this podcast,
God just had us right where he wanted us right it was like the perfect storm so I felt so I ordered the book invitation to retreat to actually be delivered to our place,
concen because I wanted to read it and so I started reading it and then finished by the time we drove home,
and God just very clearly told me you're going to start a Ministry for women,
for now for women and that you're going to take them on Retreats and I was like whoa,
and it tells me I shouldn't say this but I think it's so important that I do because I think people relate to this hang on God I don't like women and I don't like retreat.

Sarah:
[32:13] Absolutely.

Amy Tallo:
[32:15] Yeah and next like you shouldn't say you don't like women and I was like no women will get it.

Sarah:
[32:19] Yeah a tell absolutely I guarantee a lot of women are laughing and shaking their head right now yeah.

Amy Tallo:
[32:23] Yes I don't like women and I don't like Retreats but I knew very specifically that if I said no to him at this point it would be disobedient,
so sometimes we can kind of ignore and we're like maybe he's not telling me to do something but he was very clear on this and I knew to say no would be disobedient so I um,
coincidentally know totally God's plan while we're in Wisconsin my sister and her husband Greg or in Florida closing on their rental property same weekend.

Sarah:
[32:52] Okay okay that's crazy.

Amy Tallo:
[32:55] Yes so I went back to Kelly and Greg shared what was on my heart,
I said I don't know if you'd be able to maybe rent your house to me to do these Retreats but I'd like to take a group of women and just see how this goes.

Sarah:
[33:07] Yeah yeah.

Amy Tallo:
[33:09] And so,
I said think about it talk about it pray about it and they have their own amazing Faith Journey that I know you've been a part of and Greg basically looked at me and said that's incredible it's yours.

Sarah:
[33:23] That's amazing yeah.

Amy Tallo:
[33:24] Yeah,
and so we had our first retreat in November of 2019 down in Florida in Navarre I took 10 women,
and it was mostly of course my best friends that I was like Hey I want to try this thing come with me I'll make it really cheap and we're going to try this out right,
and it just took off and,
people I mean people came back and started talking about it two of the ladies on Retreat like I say it was like a think-tank discussion the whole 12 hour drive home
one of those ladies is now on my board and it has just blossomed from there and it's just been amazing to see what God has done.

Sarah:
[34:03] Yeah and how many Retreats have you done thus far now.

Amy Tallo:
[34:07] Six five I'd have to go back and really count five or six mostly in Navarre we've done a couple and golden eagle Illinois which that location has its own Amazing Story to of how that came to be and I have five coming up on the calendar.

Sarah:
[34:21] That's amazing I'm going to ask you to come back and tell us more about the dates because I want people to know where to find it,
on these Retreats like tell us like really what is what's the purpose what do they look like why would somebody even think about wanting to come or be a part.

Amy Tallo:
[34:36] So I think a lot of times I think the word Retreat is used kind of loosely and it can look like a lot of different things for be still and our Retreats the purpose is intentional time away with the Lord,
so this is not just hey grab a bunch of your girlfriends and we're going to go to the beach for five days now there is that element we're at the beach and you're with you can be with your girlfriends or you'll make new friends while we're there right,
but it is intentional time away with the Lord so,
I teach about in again Ruth Haley Barton teaches the difference between tired and dangerously tired so there's the normal tired of daily life and there's dangerously tired where you're headed for like meltdown burnout breakdown.

Sarah:
[35:21] Yeah yeah.

Amy Tallo:
[35:22] Most women come on retreat at that point and so the first you know,
12 hours or so we really don't do a lot we have a meal together that evening I tell people sleep in let's get rusted,
and then we dive into a curriculum it's different depending on what I'm doing during that season but it's all revolved around rest,
Breathing Room Retreat all those things we did one actually What Lies Women Believe,
which is really good in most of the time I would say it's about 50/50 like scheduled things.

Sarah:
[36:03] Yeah yeah.

Amy Tallo:
[36:04] And rest free time so during that free time I encourage people take time to do this journaling activity or whatever that looks like but it's a lot of just,
rest and recharge and be with Jesus in a way maybe that you haven't been in a long time or ever.

Sarah:
[36:23] Yeah that's amazing.

Amy Tallo:
[36:24] One of the key things is you don't do any cooking or cleaning or any of that like I serve you all your meals I clean them up I cook them like you're not allowed to do dishes and people don't.

Sarah:
[36:34] Wow and people who doesn't want to be signed up for.

Amy Tallo:
[36:37] Right people don't know how to respond especially women but it's funny by day three of their like I'm done.

Sarah:
[36:43] Here's my stuff I love it.

Amy Tallo:
[36:46] It's just really physical spiritual emotional.

Sarah:
[36:50] Yeah,
that's great Amy so what do what do people do right now listening because I do want to tell them more about the Retreats and hoping maybe some people be open to come and join you but not everybody can come do that all the time and not everybody right now
can go so what are some things that people can do like right now today to start practicing more Stillness peace all those things.

Amy Tallo:
[37:14] So practically there is an app called the pause app which I'm sure you guys I think you talked.

Sarah:
[37:19] Yes we talked about I love that.

Amy Tallo:
[37:22] That's amazing and it's literally teaches you how to pause for one minute and just do nothing and that sounds silly but it's harder than you think it is.

Sarah:
[37:30] It's hot I am learning still to be like one minute I don't know why one minute feels like,
we have no problem scrolling Instagram for 10 minutes but I can't take one moment to just stop I have been convicted of that again myself to be like listen sit just sit for a minute like you the world's not gonna,
yes.

Amy Tallo:
[37:51] Yeah it's hard so the pause app download it on your phone I would say,
as 2rivers you've talked about we are reading through the New Testament the New Testament in a year I have come up with a really good journaling way to do that for myself that works for me,
um I have to say I've been in the word more consistently this year since we started that as a church and since I put my own twist on it then ever in my life.

Sarah:
[38:19] Can you share with us the twist or is.

Amy Tallo:
[38:21] Can I know I can if we went time no so.

Sarah:
[38:23] Secret Amy or yeah tell us a little bit because getting in God's word and I think everybody listening is no matter where you're at in your faith Journey like getting a guys were just seems like it's this really hard thing we don't know how to do it.

Amy Tallo:
[38:35] Concept that.

Sarah:
[38:36] Yeah what does that mean.

Amy Tallo:
[38:38] SHINee is what does that mean so I went out at the beginning of the year or maybe late last year when I knew this was coming and so I love notebooks I'm a notebook person a new notebook person makes our new notebook makes me happy,
but I have learned for myself a blank notebook is not enough,
it's too open-ended so I have many many notebooks that I have started where I've got the day and I've got what I'm reading and some notes and then I'm like oh three weeks later you know.

Sarah:
[39:06] Yeah absolutely.

Amy Tallo:
[39:07] It's a quarter full and then it's sitting on a shelf somewhere so I went out and I was like I want a planner and I want it to be decent size got to be big and it's got to be laid out for me this certain way I wanted my dates to look,
but it's got space each week each day of the week so it's a double page and it's one week on a spread so there's,
several lines for each day so each day I open the plan on my phone I see what the scripture is I write it on the date,
whatever today is the 24th for something ish okay then I put my phone away because there is way too much distraction I love the Bible app because I think it's a great tool that gets scripture in your hands,
but Facebook's their Pinterest is their text messaging all the things are there so I then I put it away,
and I get out my actual paper Bible and I read that scripture and then I make notes and sometimes it's like this verse specifically and I try to pray each time I said God what do you want to teach me today,
and sometimes it's 30 minutes and sometimes it's five.

[40:18] It's consistent I try to be really consistent with us so it's either I pull a verse and I rewrite it and I say why that stuck out to me,
or sometimes I read and I'm like I don't really know what I'm supposed to get out of this so I write that God what are you trying to show me in this passage so but then because I'm very type A with,
like checklists so I've got this you know each day and I can see if I forgot today and that drives me crazy and sometimes I go back and try,
don't have to do that don't feel like it's just a checklist but for me it's been a really good way to organize myself and stay on track and then.

Sarah:
[40:56] That's a great idea.

Amy Tallo:
[40:57] Like throughout the you know throughout the year I've gone to different conferences or whatever and I'll take notes or if I'm working on a speaking topic I there's extra pages I can put notes in each the beginning of every month has this really pretty like watercolor painting,
and so I love worship music I know we have that in common.

Sarah:
[41:14] Yeah yes.

Amy Tallo:
[41:16] And so I'll write out the lyrics to one of my favorite songs and underline it or.

Sarah:
[41:20] Okay yeah.

Amy Tallo:
[41:20] Pretty or whatever so it's kind of just become my journal.

Sarah:
[41:23] That's amazing Amy so friends listening just like I said
YouVersion Bible app there's a ton of plans in there so if you're listening you're like me and I really like that I'd love to get in go you can search by topic like if you're struggling with fear or anxiety or just you there's tons of parents about rest like some great ones in there.

Amy Tallo:
[41:39] Is one called sacred rest that's really good there's another one called holy hustle what's really good we actually made a shirt out of it be still because we because I love that one.

Sarah:
[41:48] Yeah will link all those in the show notes that you can find those plans and if you are you want to read through the New Testament whether you go to 2rivers church or not if you go to tourist
back home there is a tab where it says soap that's what we're kind of calling the study this year you can go you can join in on this new testament plan it's through I just lost the its,
the Bible project it's there it's a new version to so you can find it in start you can start any day and just start going start with the gospels and go through and it's like a chap.

Amy Tallo:
[42:17] Don't feel like you have to catch up.

Sarah:
[42:19] Pick up we're in Acts yet and we're I was thinking yeah so you can just start and it's like the reading itself.

Amy Tallo:
[42:26] A chapter or less.

Sarah:
[42:27] Five minutes if that yeah so get in that is a huge thing Amy what else well there are other things just to start like rest now.

Amy Tallo:
[42:36] So I did an interview with Christy boulware a couple weeks ago and we were talking about like really practical okay so it sounds great getting the word how do I do that as a mom especially for me.

Sarah:
[42:45] Yeah okay yeah.

Amy Tallo:
[42:47] Mom with young kids I know that's not where everybody is in their season for me this summer I would in the school year I was doing really good about getting up early,
for my kids and getting a great start to my day and I really do feel like still for me that's the best optimal way to operate,
it's just not happening this summer so I'm pretty much sleep until one of my kids wakes me up and so for me sometimes my quiet time wait still nap time,
or honestly I give JC my three-year-old we call it the extra phone and she gets to watch YouTube for 30 minutes so I can have my cup of coffee and spend some time in the word,
maybe not great parenting but it's practical parenting and it's where I'm at so.

Sarah:
[43:32] If it works and helps you take some time for yourself then,
you got to do it because I think a lot of people a lot of the reasons we say we can't do these things is we're so busy or we don't have the time what do you do when people tell you what's your kind I mean we can be strong here we get it but.

Amy Tallo:
[43:49] So Nick's favorite little catchphrase for that is time is only the time is only an issue in the absence of value and so that's kind of like a punch in the gut way of saying that if it's important to you you'll make time,
so I'm actually watching Downton Abbey right now I've never watched it.

Sarah:
[44:07] Okay nice.

Amy Tallo:
[44:08] And I started watching it and so at nap time it's really easy for me to sit on the couch and open Netflix and catch the next episode of the show that I've really started to enjoy,
but that's not the best way to spend my time especially if I haven't been in the word at all,
today are about day so really where's my value is it more valuable for me to watch the next episode of my show or is it more valuable for me to spend time in the word.

Sarah:
[44:33] Yeah it's hard because it in the moment I mean we can be honest here it sounds way more interesting and compelling and exciting and and restful to watch Downton Abbey.

Amy Tallo:
[44:45] Oh yeah that's another whole thing I could talk about.

Sarah:
[44:47] Yeah so talking about the difference because I know you and I probably have because I'm big on this what's the difference between numbing out and rest.

Amy Tallo:
[44:53] Okay so there is and that's what I would say about our Retreats this is not just come and veg for five days.

Sarah:
[45:00] Yeah yeah.

Amy Tallo:
[45:01] Yes you're going to get to take a nap I is the host take naps,
were there because physical rest is imperative or our brains and emotions can't handle the rest right,
but this is not just come lay on the couch and watch binge watch Netflix this is intentional rest to fill yourself with the things of the Lord so I'm not saying edgings bad I'm not saying a Netflix binge is bad because,
I think sometimes that's what we need we need to just not have to think too much and just,
I mean I do that on occasion right and there's nothing wrong with that but it's when we use that as the only way,
to quote rest which I don't even really think that's restful because you're still feeling your brain and usually you're probably snacking on junk too and so then you just feel gross or like I just ate a whole bag of chips and watched four episodes in a row of a show.

Sarah:
[45:55] Like how did I get here.

Amy Tallo:
[45:56] Yeah yeah I know this is not restful it feels good at the time but it's not rejuvenating rest.

Sarah:
[46:00] Yeah it's yeah yeah and so again just as you said rejuvenator ice anything that fills your cup up that brings you Joy doing.

Amy Tallo:
[46:09] Yeah and true Joy not like oh that bowl of ice cream and that movie.

Sarah:
[46:13] Made me happy for.

Amy Tallo:
[46:14] Right right.

Sarah:
[46:15] Yeah.

Amy Tallo:
[46:16] True lasting joy and like on Retreat I teach people how to do that at home.

Sarah:
[46:20] Yeah yeah.

Amy Tallo:
[46:22] So it's not just okay yeah that was great hopefully you can come back someday no we're going to teach you to give you the tools to be able to carry this home now it's not going to look the same because you're not likely going to have somebody cooking your meals for you.

Sarah:
[46:34] Right at home right.

Amy Tallo:
[46:35] At home but how can I take pieces of what I've learned and apply this at home.

Sarah:
[46:40] Yeah okay Amy so we have a lot of guys that listen to and I know,
you and I were not dude so we don't know fully but what have you heard from your own husband from other guys you talk to you what can we tell like we talked about busy moms but there's busy dads out there there's guys that are working a lot hustling hard,
to provide for their families or doing what it looks like what are some things that are maybe a little tailored toward them or just any other advice or encouragement you give the guys listening.

Amy Tallo:
[47:05] Yeah so if you are a Believer and you are following Jesus and trying to live a lifestyle that glorifies God,
it's just as important if not more important that your in the word because you are the spiritual leader of your family and so,
I hope I didn't step on toes there but that's just what God's word says and so if that's not you if you're not in that place you still need rest and relaxation and Rejuvenation so,
you know what,
sit down with your wife and why I should do this with her husband's to like hey I really need to spend some time just refreshing so I know you just took some time and I know will you did too,
for like out in nature so maybe that's for Nick like I say hey go to the tiny house we have a friend that owns a tiny house.

Sarah:
[47:57] Yeah yeah.

Amy Tallo:
[47:58] Go to the tiny house for 24 hours I can tell as a wife when he needs rest,
so husband's you have to be humble enough to admit,
yes I need rest I'm worn out I'm exhausted,
sometimes I know that you know especially if you don't have a long commute home if your commute is short and you come home as a husband and you've worked all day and you got kids at home,
all the things you know what Drive the long way around let your wife know you're doing it.

Sarah:
[48:32] Yeah give a heads up because the kids all freak out right before dad comes home.

Amy Tallo:
[48:37] Or say hey I'm going to help you with dinner but then tonight after the kids are in bed I'm going to go do XYZ or I'm going to go for a walk or I'm going to I need to spend some time alone,
so I've had lots of Wives come back from her tree and say my husband needs this and so we're trying to figure out maybe what that looks like,
but then I've also heard my daughter needs this or whatever fill in the blank.

Sarah:
[49:03] Will everybody everybody needs rest in a world that we live in in our Western culture in particular that just doesn't slow down and doesn't stop and tells you that you know you need more and you need more money.

Amy Tallo:
[49:13] Well in busyness is warm like a badge of honor.

Sarah:
[49:15] It really is like.

Amy Tallo:
[49:16] Especially for men like I think I think this whole mom culture Fang like people get it and heard except accepting when the mom is like oh I need a break,
but if a dad says I need a break people are like well why do you need a break you've been at work all day.

Sarah:
[49:32] Yeah suck it up just keep.

Amy Tallo:
[49:34] Right that brings its own challenges so men this is definitely for you two it's going to look a little different but you need this just as much as we do.

Sarah:
[49:44] Absolutely I think the key you said is if you are in a if you're married or you have a family just communication just,
about it talk to each other about how how did it maybe you make your spouse listen to this episode,
figure out hey what's one thing we can start doing or like in the next six months because if you don't plan for it right,
it's not going to happen so maybe you can't do it immediately this week and take a 24-hour but wind can you find 24 hours in the next six months,
that you could go do something so Amy let's talk about this because money is often a hang-up s people be like well I don't have access to a free tiny house or I don't have money to go stay at a hotel,
what are some things that people can do if it's like I can't afford a $400 Retreat I can't afford whatever it
is do you have any ideas what people could do kind of in between that maybe doesn't cost as much money or.

Amy Tallo:
[50:31] For us for Be Still Ministries specifically I would never want cost to come between you being somewhere that God wants you so please feel free to reach out to me we have ways of helping with that on the flipside of that it does take,
people to help.

Sarah:
[50:47] Yes yeah.

Amy Tallo:
[50:48] To make that happen but there are avenues for scholarships for retreat but,
not specific to be still one of Nick's favorite places to go and work especially on a sermon is a park and he'll find a park bench,
um and work there I mean it doesn't cost any money to take a walk around your neighborhood sometimes when I've just had a day as soon as Nick gets home I'm like I'm going for a walk,
because I just need to clear my head,
that's really easy here's one asked I don't depending on your family situation ask your husband or your wife to take the kids and go to Grandma and Grandpa's for a night.

Sarah:
[51:26] Yeah that's.

Amy Tallo:
[51:27] Um like Nick could take the kids and go stay at his parents for a night and I'd have the house to myself or vice versa right so it doesn't always have to cost money it's,
the easier thing you know it's the easier thing to say oh I'm just going to check into a hotel but then I also find that that's not,
rejuvenating rest either you end up laying in bed and watching TV the whole time.

Sarah:
[51:47] HGTV and figure out how I need to do more things because I my house needs a makeover not that I know that from personal experience or anything,
okay Amy are there any other resources you would recommend books podcasts or people they're like hey I want to know more about this I'm really intrigued what would you recommend if you can't think of all right now we can list them to show notes.

Amy Tallo:
[52:08] Sure so there's a podcast simple families and that's kind of where Nick and I started listening to podcast in general I
I was never really a podcast person before that but she has just really practical advice for how to simplify your life when you have kids,
I think that's a great way to start Joshua Becker is a former youth pastor and now he teaches and writes about minimalism he has some books one of them's called the more of less,
that's a great way to start he talks about minimalism for families and what that looks like Ruth Haley Barton has her books invitation to retreat,
invitation the Solitude and silence she's got several books so she's a great resource there's a lot of stuff out there,
find find a friend who maybe is going through similar like hey I want to do this too and hold each other accountable.

Sarah:
[53:01] Yeah yeah that's good Amy if people are interested in Be Still Ministries in like finding out more or their Retreats tell us one what Retreats you have coming up you still have spots for.

Amy Tallo:
[53:11] So I have one in September it's actually a local Retreat which is which local Retreat which is nice it's September 16 through 19,
it's in Golden Eagle Illinois so it's just a quick like 30 minutes and hop on a ferry and you're there basically and it's Thursday evening through Sunday afternoon so you'd only have to take one day off work,
be easy so I have three slots available available for that the cost is 300 dollars and that's all your meals and everything so I,
three spots for that I have one in Navarre in October and November they are full,
but I do have some in January and February and all the info for that the dates are all out on my website.

Sarah:
[53:52] Perfect and will link the website and you have a page on Facebook that would encourage people to go find Be Still Ministries right they can find it that way you sometimes will post tips you all see you share stuff to along the way so.

Amy Tallo:
[54:04] A couple of us it gets confusing because one of the girls that post for me sometimes said that how they sold their house and they're moving into their camper and people started texting me like what is.

Sarah:
[54:15] You really took this minimalism seriously here.

Amy Tallo:
[54:18] Like no that's not me so yeah there's a few of us that posts on that page but we're not as active as maybe we could be and I know you said you have a love-hate,
relationship and struggle with social media too.

Sarah:
[54:30] Yes yeah.

Amy Tallo:
[54:31] It can suck me in pretty quickly so but yeah we do post some practical tips and scripture,
upcoming events and news I'm actually going to be at the all-in,
experience in Lawson Missouri August 20th and 21st with Jane patent and altered Ministries so that's a free event actually it is a little bit out of town so it might involve a hotel night but the event itself is free and we're going to have,
space there.

Sarah:
[54:58] Awesome okay will link all those details so if you're when you're listening you can find all those things check the show notes Amy's or anything we didn't talk about that you want to cover or any other.

Amy Tallo:
[55:06] I mean I could talk like this all day so what you want to talk about.

Sarah:
[55:09] I know I'm telling you people always are like it's so intimidating to come in like it's just we're just chatting this is the conversation that's it.

Amy Tallo:
[55:14] Talk University model schools or parenting your ADHD child or how to have teenagers and toddlers.

Sarah:
[55:21] Yeah we're in that boat that's a fun one well what have you got back for more I do have a question because we talk about this kind of become a joke on the podcast because you know will in our coffee fans.

Amy Tallo:
[55:29] Yeah yes.

Sarah:
[55:31] And do you like coffee what's your drink of choice what's what's your Starbucks order or wherever you go.

Amy Tallo:
[55:38] Okay so I've recently learned to drink black coffee because I know it's not good to drink your calories blah blah blah so I.

Sarah:
[55:45] Yes yes it's not as fun but yeah.

Amy Tallo:
[55:49] If it's good coffee I can drink it black.

Sarah:
[55:52] That's impressive I start to put like coconut milk I found this coconut cream that's a little better but.

Amy Tallo:
[55:59] Yeah no I can do it black if it's good quality coffee and it's fresh.

Sarah:
[56:03] Okay yep.

Amy Tallo:
[56:05] Okay,
but if I'm really having fun I just love a straight mocha from Starbucks Nick laughs because my order is kind of complicated because I like a grande mocha nonfat,
no whip extra hot one less pump of mocha sauce.

Sarah:
[56:21] You know what the more complicated is the better I feel like it just you care about your coffee drink.

Amy Tallo:
[56:26] You do any really anything iced coffee with some sort of sugary flavoring I'm not going to turn any of.

Sarah:
[56:32] I love it so I have a really important question and so at your Retreats is there coffee there.

Amy Tallo:
[56:36] Oh absolutely.

Sarah:
[56:38] Okay then I can go is what you're saying.

Amy Tallo:
[56:39] Really we go through a lot of coffee.

Sarah:
[56:41] I bet I love.

Amy Tallo:
[56:42] And I had to add decaf because.

Sarah:
[56:44] Yeah.

Amy Tallo:
[56:44] Some people want decaf.

Sarah:
[56:46] I'm that crazy person that has a deep love for coffee but caffeine doesn't like me but I is not deterred me from drinking coffee it's just decaf.

Amy Tallo:
[56:52] Yes okay okay well I've got I've got coffee for you too then.

Sarah:
[56:57] I love it well Amy okay because the show's called now that something good the last question I got to ask you is what something good will anything what's something good going on your eyes something a good price I don't there's no qualifier some.

Amy Tallo:
[57:09] Nick and I as you know just got back from Colorado we camped through Colorado essentially.

Sarah:
[57:14] Okay wait I do have questions about this because we haven't got to talk about this all I know is actually is going to tell you is I got a really interesting text from my husband this is what showing me a picture of Nick and where he's like on a mountain shirtless the background like this is kind of strange to my husband
- of Nick but I apparently was on Facebook,
and I didn't see it because I wasn't on Facebook a lot but anyway I was cracking up but you guys literally like you got to explain this to me Amy you were literally kid I mean this was not a hotel,
this is not glamping this is legit camping.

Amy Tallo:
[57:44] Well we didn't have a tent we were one step up from having a tent okay so so if we have a second I'll give a,
okay so Nick and I try to take these trips I mentioned earlier we went to Door County Wisconsin we try to get away once or twice a year,
marriage tip right there take the time do it doesn't have to cost a lot of money.

Sarah:
[58:02] Yeah yes.

Amy Tallo:
[58:03] Hence the camping so so we had an Airbnb in Grand Lake Colorado and that was our plan and we were going to do all these things in Colorado,
well we didn't realize I guess that there had been a big fire out there last year and so most of the area around Grand Lake is damaged and you can't hike,
because of this huge tragic fire.

Sarah:
[58:22] Okay yeah.

Amy Tallo:
[58:24] I had and so we started talking about other options and we have a van right Minnie
in life and so we weren't gonna have the kids and I was like Nick what would it look like if we just threw our air mattress in the back of the van and just like found different places to camp throughout the state.

Sarah:
[58:41] Baby.

Amy Tallo:
[58:42] And he was he was like huh,
might want to do that and so he started doing some research and we actually have a friend at church that has this little camper pod,
and so it basically is a full-size ich mattress and there's some storage cabinets and a little fan and that's it right.

Sarah:
[59:01] Okay okay.

Amy Tallo:
[59:02] Pod and so we're like what kind of mini van pull a pod turns out it can so we borrowed the Pod oh wait.

Sarah:
[59:11] Hi

Amy Tallo:
[59:12] So here we go again we had this trip perfectly plan we're going to leave on a Monday drive all day so if Nick always wanting to stretch it he's like what if we left Sunday after church,
drove halfway camp and then get to Colorado will have more time okay fine,
I left all the planning up to him I because at some point I just got decision fatigue,
and I was like just make the make the trip make the plans I'll have fun whatever so he,
it's a campground in Kansas there's not a whole lot of them at a state park while as we're driving we realize it's like 30 minutes one way off the highway and out of our.

Sarah:
[59:49] No okay.

Amy Tallo:
[59:50] So we're talking an hour out of our way it's getting late we're like no we're not doing that we had paid like 20 bucks we're like we're going to just eat the 20 bucks we're going to find a cheap hotel,
easier said than done in the middle of Kansas,
finally I was like we're just can we just pull over and sleep in a parking lot he's like are you serious I said yeah why not truckers do it like.

Sarah:
[1:00:15] Amy.

Amy Tallo:
[1:00:17] We really did pull in and we spent the night in the parking lot of I won't even call it a truck stop it was a gas,
it was a large parking lot where some truckers parked and we spent the night in our trailer in the parking lot of gas station the first night.

Sarah:
[1:00:30] Yeah oh my goodness.

Amy Tallo:
[1:00:33] So we camped that way we did have reservations at campgrounds the other night.

Sarah:
[1:00:38] People to sleep because I think I'd be so terrified the whole time somebody's gonna like come knock on my window tell us we couldn't be there okay that's good so you were out.

Amy Tallo:
[1:00:43] I don't have those kinds of fears so I it was more of a discomfort of the mattress so the next day we stopped at Walmart and bought a memory foam topper for it,
and so yeah but we had showers almost every night and there was one there was one Campground we stayed at that did not have a shower but that's okay.

Sarah:
[1:01:04] Okay hey I loved it it was an adventure I'm proud of you I don't think I'd be able to do this.

Amy Tallo:
[1:01:10] And on the way home we stopped and we're like ooh it's our actual anniversary let's get a hotel.

Sarah:
[1:01:15] Oh no.

Amy Tallo:
[1:01:16] So Netbook this God love him cheap motel,
and we get the handicapped room and so in the shower they have like the wand you know that you can remove so you can,
your shower but it was not attached in any way like there was nothing to hang it on so for those of us who are not handicapped we still had the hold the wand and Light,
shout if you could see me right now it's ridiculous like shower and the best part about it was the Mexican night club in the parking lot that we fell asleep to the music of the Mexican night.

Sarah:
[1:01:50] That solid that is a great way to spend your 16th anniversary.

Amy Tallo:
[1:01:53] You know what we spent our first anniversary at a KOA Campground so it just comes full circle.

Sarah:
[1:01:58] Have you always been kid you like to kiss.

Amy Tallo:
[1:02:00] We like to Camp we're actually so that something.

Sarah:
[1:02:02] Okay yeah what's your something good.

Amy Tallo:
[1:02:03] Who's leading up to something good we're actually looking to purchase a pop-up camper.

Sarah:
[1:02:08] Nice our whole family okay.

Amy Tallo:
[1:02:09] Fit our whole family still has to be small enough to pull our to be pulled by our minivan okay.

Sarah:
[1:02:14] Okay okay that's exciting.

Amy Tallo:
[1:02:17] To meet to us it's good.

Sarah:
[1:02:18] Hey there like I said there's no qualifier if it's good to you then,
camping have some Family Adventures you know what your kids up I never forget that so that's awesome okay well if you have a pop-up camper and you want to sell it reach out to Amy there in the market for one.

Amy Tallo:
[1:02:33] For cheap because you did hear that Nick said or Nick had me stay in a hotel or a motel yeah.

Sarah:
[1:02:38] We're pastors people - this is not a lucrative market but awesome well Amy thank you so much for being here today and sharing us okay we'll talk more soon.

Amy Tallo:
[1:02:45] Thanks for having me it was fun!