Rhett: 0:00

Those are the moments that really stood out and go, man, you know we did have fun yesterday, but, man, there's nothing like being in the presence of God, with God's people. And you know, until you experience it, man, like I'm telling you, man, like I know people argue this all day long, but I'm not at the mercy of an argument because I had the experience.

Justin: 0:20

We live in the now and the not yet. There he is. We live in the now and the not yet. So when I say we live in the now, we have these opportunities for these extraordinary moments and these ordinary moments. You just described an extraordinary moment and it was great, but you described this ordinary moment that was eternal and that's all we can do right now is be in the now. When you're living in the now, I feel like the reference to Spaceballs we're in now.

Rhett: 0:45

When Then? Right now Now now. What happened then? Missed it when.

Justin: 0:52

Just now, but literally we live, we live in the now.

Rhett: 1:10

Well, hello and welcome to another episode of the podcast with your friends Rhett and Justin, right here at Armchair Authentic, where we're stewarding our stories in a way that serve you. We're having real conversations about real life with real people, and today we have another great episode for you. We can't wait to get into it, but before we do always want to take a moment to say thank you to every single one of you who have taken the time to follow us on social media. In fact, if you're new to the episode today, we want to say welcome, friends. It is so good to have you with us. In fact, could we encourage you? If you've not already done so, could you go to Facebook or Instagram and follow us? You can find us there at Armchair Authentic. That's at Armchair Authentic. Or you can go on over to X and you can find us there as well, at Armchair Off Pod. That's Armchair Off A-U-T-H-P-O-D.

Rhett: 2:11

One thing we've been encouraging every single one of you to do, and that is, if you're enjoying the conversations and the episodes, could you do us a huge favor. Would you take a moment to copy the link from your favorite podcast platform? Send that to a friend. Text it to a friend. Hey, how about airdropping it to your coworkers right now? I'm sure they could enjoy a mid-afternoon or early morning pick-me-up. So, wherever you are, we want to say thank you so much for doing that and, for those who are doing it for the first time, it really means so much to Justin and I Thank you so much for sharing the journey and the love of Armchair Authentic with a friend. All right, everybody, the moment you've all been waiting for, our conversation begins right now. So, justin and I, we typically have these pre-conversations before the conversation, and one of the things we were talking about, as I have my dog, molly, golden retriever. Golden retriever oh, I should.

Rhett: 3:11

Sorry, molly, I totally offended her she's looking at me like don't you know what kind of dog I am.

Justin: 3:16

She's like I got a little more bougie.

Rhett: 3:19

She's a golden doodle and she's sitting here in her little beanbag chair that she uses inside the studio and, uh, we were talking about, just uh, grooming habits. For some reason we got on that you were asking me, how many? How often do we groom molly? And we're like, wait a minute, let's just hit record and just start yeah, because I'm learning.

Rhett: 3:38

This is new for me yeah, I'm a new dog owner, because you are a new dog owner and uh, which you've mentioned other day, and so you're a dog lover, dog owner and you've got Lido.

Justin: 3:47

Let's go. So we've had Lido a while, but we just don't want to. You know it was a process, as we talked about last week. Yeah, it was like a shared custody, yeah, and so months ago we really took him on officially. But we're still just trying to make sure it is that. You know, everything work out in the house with us. We're not allergic to dogs, but outside we do have some family members who are allergic to some of the stuff outside and he brings it in the house.

Justin: 4:14

We're trying to learn and see what this full calendar year looks like. Everybody loves him, but it's important to have a clean dog, and that's what you were talking about.

Rhett: 4:24

Yeah, and you were asking me, how often do we groom Molly? And I said I don't know, every two and a half months. And you were like, well, that's, you know, it's not a cheap. You're starting to learn that. You know grooming is not cheap, it's expensive.

Rhett: 4:38

Yeah, and so I shared with you, I think, the last time this little place and some people might be listening to this, thinking this is a deal and it might be, but for 110 bucks, you know, and you're like how often do you do that a month? I'm like heck, no.

Rhett: 4:51

You know, so maybe every two and a half, you know months or whatever, just when she needs it. We do take good care of her and we try to keep her clean and everything at the house too. But, um, and you were saying something about taking Lito into, you know, giving him a bath, as you know, very often that's because the way, if you want to picture this, the way our house is set up, we have this two level house.

Justin: 5:15

You have your main level, you walk onto, you can go upstairs, but we also have a finished basement. That's where the gaming activities you know the kids who want to play the gaming activities, you know the kids who want to play. That's usually my office, my makeshift office. It's been taken over by Dax with his gaming stuff and drums, all that stuff. But there is a bathroom that we have downstairs. It's like the shower. Nobody uses but it's cool, we get a bathroom downstairs. Awesome.

Rhett: 5:41

Now we've officially called it Lido shower because me and Summer have, I'm sorry, so you now officially call it Lito shower.

Justin: 5:46

Well it is, he's the only one who's ever used the shower in our house. It's great, it's a great little bathroom, and so, uh Lito, we want to make sure that he stays clean and we let him stay on the main level of our house where he can walk out the back door. There's actually a doggy door that came with our house. That worked out good.

Justin: 6:08

So he can come in and out as long as we keep the main door open. But when he comes in he knows not to go upstairs. We even have a baby gate where it's like you don't come upstairs, he's fully trained. He's fully trained. No, no bathroom accidents. He is. He came from the academy Rhett, so he's an elitist.

Rhett: 6:27

He's an elito. He's not just elito, he's elito, he's not. Yeah, that's a super, that's going to be his moniker he's not Lido, he is elito, all right. I need to mark this for Summer and the boys to hear this we have a new name for Lido.

Justin: 6:46

L-i-d-o is now Elito Elido.

Rhett: 6:49

Oh yeah.

Justin: 6:50

I love it. So anytime he does something he's not supposed to, we're like you graduated from the academy Like what are you doing, dog? You're smarter than this. We've probably untrained a lot of this stuff because we just don't know completely what we're doing. But I did for the first time Usually we do it kind of in tandem of washing the dog, but Summer was cleaning the house, doing some things and I just wanted to man up and say, hey, I'm going to clean this dog because he was starting to stink.

Justin: 7:17

I hate a stinky dog. How is that going? Well, when he sees me starting to lead him down into the gaming room. He knows he's not allowed down there, so he knows what's coming. He knows something because he just sits down and stares smart yeah and I finally have to put like the harness on him where I can just drag him until he comes with me like we're going downstairs lito, whether you like it or not, we're going.

Rhett: 7:39

You're about to get about.

Justin: 7:40

He's about 80 pounds, I mean he's a big dog he is, he is a golden retriever and he is every bit of it, over two years old now, and so I took him down in there and I turn on the shower, I get the gloves ready. I mean I'll wash the mess out of that dog and you know me, I over, I probably overdo things, so I probably put like three different washings of you know what. Rinse them off. Another thing, of our shampoo the doggy shampoo.

Justin: 8:07

I mean going crazy on him. You can see the dirt coming out down the faucet or the drain. By the time it's done, it's just white suds, so he is clean. It's a whole process. Dry him off with a towel, go take him for a long walk to help him air dry. And now I've got a clean doggy at the house, elito.

Rhett: 8:27

Now I've got a clean doggy at the house. I do, man, that's great.

Justin: 8:30

I was asking you because I don't know this world and we've tried some of these businesses in town, yeah, and they've done a good job, but the price they are it doesn't keep up with the amount of baths that I would prefer a dog to have if they're going to stay in my house.

Rhett: 8:45

Yeah.

Justin: 8:46

Yeah.

Rhett: 8:48

I'm just a little weird like that. The dog spas. Now it's gone to a whole other level, man. I mean the stuff that they offer these dogs. I'm like man, I don't even treat myself to this kind of stuff.

Justin: 8:58

You know what I'm saying? I don't think I'm going to get my dog.

Rhett: 9:01

We are such a society massage and you know the doggy facial, and I'm like I don't. I think we're good, I think just give them a nice bath yeah cut them, you know.

Justin: 9:09

Cut her and make her look nice and we're good we have been so domesticated as people because before it snowed a few weeks ago, I mean summer ordered these little boots for him at petco and I went in to go pick these boots out and I mean he looked like little curious George with his little yellow boots. How did he do with that he hated them.

Rhett: 9:31

I bet he did.

Justin: 9:31

He walked around like one awkward dog.

Rhett: 9:34

I mean, people were probably thinking like, oh, he's sweet.

Justin: 9:36

He's walking his you know challenged dog over here, but no, I finally took him off off and he played in the snow all day, to the point that when people are talking about don't leave your animals outside now and I'm going to start something here, I'm sorry I guess this is the controversy we're going to bring today in the canine world. But yeah, I took those boots off. He was looking funky. I mean, I was running his groove to all the doggy ladies in the neighborhood.

Justin: 10:03

I mean he probably felt really weird in his little yellow stockings and so I took those things off. And you know people are like, well, he's going to get cold. The dog is rolling around in the snow, he can't get enough of it. No, right, he's not getting cold and I went ahead and got a little more bold.

Rhett: 10:20

They were built and designed by God for that fur, and I'm trying to help him discover his purpose, because we've domesticated him so much. He thinks he's a human.

Justin: 10:29

So I have to remind him. When we step out of the house, even if it's 40, 30 degrees and we're going to be gone an hour, I'm confessing it. I send him outside and you know how he shows me how much he hates it. He's running around having a blast.

Rhett: 10:43

Oh he's having a ball.

Justin: 10:43

He's having a blast, and when we get home and open the door, he does not come back in. No, because he's having a great time in the backyard. Yeah, and so he was made for this, yeah.

Rhett: 10:54

The dog is made for that type of weather. They really are Now. If it were 15 degrees outside, I would say I do understand a house?

Justin: 11:00

yeah, and we'll bring him in, but still we went and bought one of those igloos yeah, he's got a place to stay warm.

Rhett: 11:06

Technically he can get on that.

Justin: 11:07

He can get in that igloo on the porch and it could be 15 degrees and it's going to be warmer than that. The wind currents yeah aren't going to make it through. Yeah, so I've read and in the heat I can leave him out. In alabama 100 degree weather, so we're not going to do hashtag peterA. Except that igloo will keep him cool. At least that's what it says.

Rhett: 11:27

At least, that's what it says.

Justin: 11:28

Yeah, no, we spoil him, man, we don't let him stay out too long. But dog life, rhett, dog life, I'm learning from you. Well, you always had a dog growing up. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Rhett: 11:40

Don't. Are we going to do? Are we going to go there?

Justin: 11:42

Sure, I think. I think people need to learn more about Brett and his, his childhood, his dog life.

Rhett: 11:48

Yeah, so you know, this is not making this stuff up man. Like my first dog was a miniature poodle, Like a yeah, I don't know.

Justin: 11:58

Miniature very small, they probably.

Rhett: 12:00

I probably have many minis now, yeah, but this was like a miniature poodle. Yeah, she was tiny, very tiny, and I have no idea. Maybe this is just the creative side of me or maybe I just saw so many cartoons or something, I don't know, but it was a female poodle and we're like what are we going to name her?

Justin: 12:15

I was like Fifi, you did yeah, I don't, and Cliff, so Fifi that character, but like, if you ever like it's a very stereotypical name for a female poodle, right yeah, among others.

Rhett: 12:27

But yeah, among others. I don't know any other dog Fifi. There's other animals, you know, but I can't. I'm laughing because Justin is just. Some people are laughing because they're like, oh, rhett had a dog named Fifi. Yeah, I did, and you know what I'm proud of it? That dog was great. That dog did not want to die, literally like I don't know how old I was when we got her. But man, we had that dog forever, graduated high school, went to college, got married, moved on, and dog's still alive. You come back and visit. Eventually we had to, like the. The vet told us, like this it's will to live, like it's blind, yeah, it can't see, it can't control itself, and it's bathroom behaviors at this point is really sad. It's like this dog will continue to live as long as you know. And so it was one of those moments where, like the vet was looking at it, it's like, hey, it's time, it's time that she meets.

Justin: 13:21

It's time. It's time that she meets. Let Fifi move.

Rhett: 13:22

It's time to meet Fifi's. Jesus yeah, fifi, go to doggy heaven you know yeah. And I was like okay, you know.

Justin: 13:30

That great heavenly farm in the sky.

Rhett: 13:31

That was a sad moment, that was a great heavenly farm in the sky. That was a sad moment, you know. I bet it was Because you know young adult in your 20s.

Justin: 13:47

I love Fifi. What is happening right now? She's a great dog. I always remember I get to come over and just aggravate her to death and then I would leave.

Rhett: 13:53

We won't talk about any of the things that we did as kids. I love Fifi. You know when I loved her most, though.

Justin: 13:59

When, after she was groomed and she smelled good yeah of course, and when she stunk I didn't hang out no yeah but I'm an. I'm a conditional dog lover dogs yeah, that's okay I am, I admit so you only love elito when he smells good, yeah, I love. I do love him less when he stinks and I have to give him a bath because I want to love him.

Rhett: 14:17

I don't know if it's that you don't love him less.

Justin: 14:19

You just don't want to be around him because he smells like yeah, I don't want yeah, I don't want to be around them because he smells like, yeah, I don't want to be around him. But then I acknowledge, like I've become yeah the house that I don't smell it anymore, and I think my house might smell like dog at times yeah, you don't know it.

Rhett: 14:32

You don't know it when you're living in it. Well, that's why you have to ask a trusted friend, like you used to ask me.

Justin: 14:37

Yeah, you don't ask me anymore, because my nose has been conditioned yeah, we're always.

Rhett: 14:43

You would ask me, and I'd be like you know how?

Justin: 14:45

smells great today. Right, you're like another week.

Rhett: 14:48

I'm like yeah, you might want to light a candle.

Justin: 14:50

Well, yeah.

Rhett: 14:52

I guess probably. We're probably at that three month mark to where we need to take her in and go back, not today. No, you notice I'm a conditional dog owner.

Justin: 15:02

You know you don't want to.

Rhett: 15:03

Here's the thing. If you're a dog owner, you should know this. So you just don't wash the dog, you also have to wash all the things that they lay on. Yeah, so like if, if, so, we have a designated area. It was really. It's an ingenious thing. Or my mother-in-law actually bought us this. It was a? You know what do you call those little beds that are for babies? I know this sounds. I'm so out of the baby game.

Justin: 15:28

A bassinet.

Rhett: 15:28

No, but the baby beds that would go into a crib.

Justin: 15:33

Yeah. They're like waterproof, you know or whatever, but they're really small, like the little mini mattresses. Mini mattress, there you go, they're a mini mattress.

Rhett: 15:40

So we have a mini mattress and it's basically a mattress designed to go to baby crib. But she was like y'all ought to use this for molly and it's perfect, she can lay out on it. So we get this. You know baby mattress, little uh cover, slip cover for it. So she lays on that. We call it her. I don't want to say it. She's in the room bed. It's so stupid that I have to spell she's so smart in front of my dog.

Rhett: 16:01

She knows yeah, because if I said it, she's's going to look at me like where do you want? Like I can't because the door's closed to the studio, how am I?

Justin: 16:06

going to get there. She's going to interrupt our podcast, yeah.

Rhett: 16:09

And anyways. So anytime we take her to groom like the thing she's laying on right now, the beanbag I take that cover off the beanbag, I wash it. I take the sheet and the mattress pad and all that and I wash it because it's amazing how the the smells can linger on that stuff, man so if you're ever wondering if your house doesn't smell like dog, if you haven't washed those things?

Justin: 16:30

it probably does things. Yeah, probably. Yeah, it is funny like with us lido his word is bed like it's yeah, that's her word too, so sorry hey it's time. No, no, no, no, it's dang it.

Rhett: 16:44

I just said the word you said yeah, I'm sorry, that's not our word, oh my bad.

Justin: 16:48

We say go to your room, okay, yeah, we say go to your room and he just goes straight into his at the crate.

Rhett: 16:54

It's like a crate, yeah, so we made the mistake of calling the crate a c-a-g-e yeah, so it sounds awful to people which sounds sounds awful to people, but my son named it because it looked like a C-A-G-E.

Justin: 17:06

Yeah it looked like that. That's what it is, because it is it really is.

Rhett: 17:10

It doesn't sound very politically correct, but the politically correct way is to say crate, but we use that and any time we say that word she immediately, no question asked, she goes right to it.

Justin: 17:20

Well, you're just not wanting PETA? Yeah, come and get us. Yeah, I mean, I may have already lost my dog by now that I let him outside in a 33 degree weather.

Rhett: 17:29

I know that's what I said, man. We just yeah Anyway. So yeah, so all of that, to say dog talk, man, you know you've heard of coffee talk.

Justin: 17:36

Remember the SNL Coffee, coffee, coffee.

Rhett: 17:41

This is dog talk this is dog talk with Rhett and Justin. It's really the first time we get to relate on this in our life because, you've always had.

Justin: 17:50

You've had a dog a lot of your life.

Rhett: 17:52

Well, I had her, and then Fifi, and then we moved on to Alexi not Alexi, but a dog named. Alexi crazy dog man. That dog was like all over the place. It was a mutt. Of mutts couldn't train that dog for nothing.

Justin: 18:06

I actually you ready for this?

Rhett: 18:07

Fun fact, I actually had to do a community service for that stupid dog. Why? I was living in Flower Mountain, texas. Yeah, I kept the dog in the backyard. The dog kept getting out of the yard. So cause I couldn't leave the dog and he was an outside dog, and and so eventually I got like a, a nice leash that you could put to the, you know, keep in the backyard to keep her from only going so far, put her food and water and all that stuff out there. She eventually got out of that. She kept getting out of the yard. So, long story short, I kept having to go to the animal shelter to pick this dumb dog up.

Justin: 18:46

No way, so someone would.

Rhett: 18:48

Oh yeah, so they would call that caller. You know, get it and go to the animal shelter, and then I'd get a call and I'd go pick up the dog. And then I think, after the third strike and you're out is, if this continues to happen, we're going to write you a ticket. And it did, and I got a.

Rhett: 19:02

I got a ticket for a dog they call it dog at large, nice, and I'm thinking this dog wouldn't hurtfully, it'll lick you to death, but it doesn't want to stay in the backyard, right? So I had to go stand before a judge in flower mound, texas, before a judge, oh gosh. And the judge was like uh, you know, ret barden, whatever I, I feel like I'm about to go to jail for this stupid dog, rhett Lamar Barton. I don't love this dog that much. Yeah, it's like Judgment Day, you know, rhett Lamar Barton. And I'm like yes, ma'am, or whatever You're like.

Justin: 19:36

I have not seen this since I was in a judgment house at the Baptist church down the road, where God reads off a list and he puts his glasses on.

Rhett: 19:44

I'm thinking that I am a you know worship pastor at this point of a church in Frisco, Texas, and here I am in court, standing before a judge over this dumb dog, and I love the dog, but it was stupid that I was having to do this. And so, yeah, it literally just like how do you plea? And I'm like not guilty. And they're like, really, you're going to plead, not guilty? And I was like, well, it's a dog. I was like, judge, I'm trying to be respectful, I don't remember what, but I was literally like I love this dog, the dog would lick you to death.

Rhett: 20:17

I feel like I'm being like a what do you call this dog? Like not a Doberman, but like the pit bulls. Like this is not a pit bull Right. This is just a mud of a dog, you know can.

Justin: 20:27

I show you a picture of the dog Like look you to death.

Rhett: 20:30

So I feel like I'm standing in court because I've got a dog that's going to kill somebody, right? And that's not the case. I said I mean, judge, it was almost one of those things. Where do you want to reconsider your plea?

Justin: 20:44

And I was like well, I guess.

Rhett: 20:45

I'm guilty, you know. And it was like, well, how do you know you can pay a fine or you can do community service? And I was like, oh, how much is that? I know it was a couple hundred bucks and I did not have it, yeah, and so I was like, well, I said I'll do community service. She's like okay. And I said, does church count, serving at a church? She said yeah, absolutely. I said, well, that would be great. She said I was already serving a church. I was already a worship pastor at a church For real Right. And she said all you need to do is have the pastor of the church sign off on however many hours it was. It was like three or four weeks in the dumbest thing, I'll have this done.

Rhett: 21:23

I was like I know, and I went and told my pastor he laughed and of course you know I was on staff and I'm there all the time anyway. So it was. You know it was a part-time gig at that point, but yeah so that's, isn't that crazy yeah. Standing before the judge for a dog at large, because I couldn't keep the dumb dog in the backyard and I did commute. It's crazy even thinking about that, because it's like that, doesn't? It's such a distant memory.

Justin: 21:49

That was, oh man, 30 years ago, it seems well it's funny they they bring new things out in those 30 years because yeah summer and the boys were in the art.

Justin: 21:59

We have a pretty big yard that we're in a neighborhood where there's like a lot of yard before the house is, which is is really cool. But but, lito, we don't let him go outside without a leash when we're walking the neighborhood, just because we don't know what he's going to do. He loves people a lot, in the same way you just said, and Summer and the boys are out there like they're just getting home and they're in the yard now before they've made their way in the house. So I see I mean Lito's at the door with me and I'm like he's so fired up for them. He's just going to run to them and so I let him go. But what I did not see is in the street, this lady is walking by with, like her golden doodle.

Rhett: 22:38

Okay.

Justin: 22:39

He completely runs past Summer and the boys, and I'm like no, lito, like no. And the lady he's not doing anything to her yet, but he sees her coming and it makes her adjust. I guess getting ready for what maybe is about to happen.

Rhett: 22:56

Well, she's got this strange man yelling at her. She's like what is happening? And then she looks up and sees a dog coming at her full charge.

Justin: 23:02

And then she does this move and she bust on the ground. The dog didn't do anything, she busted right as Lito got to her. So the picture from anybody else you've got Lito just kind of like licking or just kind of running around this lady and it looks like he just went and pile-drived her on the ground, and so all I know to do is I turn around like I don't know who the dog is and I just go in.

Rhett: 23:29

Have you got a letter on your? Have you got a letter from a lawyer? Yet I'll let Summer deal with it, Cause it was another lady. I'm like Dog at large. I said, Summer, I don't know this dog. You might be doing community service here, pretty soon.

Justin: 23:41

I told Sam Raz that you can take care of that I'm so sorry that he did not knock her over. I'm like being defensive.

Rhett: 23:50

You need to get a refund on the doctorate you received from this school of elitists, yeah, the elitist. Lito his academy training.

Justin: 23:56

We are that's funny.

Rhett: 23:58

The timing is terrible. That alone the academy for a dog.

Justin: 24:04

I'm sorry he had his own cap and gown oh, you've got to be kidding me.

Rhett: 24:08

Please tell me that's a joke. That's a joke? Well, maybe not a gown. I think it's a cute little cape, but he oh yeah, he had a cap.

Justin: 24:16

Oh my god, little thing, you can a little cross it from the left to the right. He actually wore it unwilling. You just tie it on there. Good, we got a picture of it.

Rhett: 24:27

Could you imagine getting an invite from your friend or family member asking you to come and to attend a dog's graduation?

Justin: 24:34

Well, that happened before we had him. All that stuff we got to inherit the dog yeah, well, you know. But he came like she gave us his cap and we put it on him one day I will say, though, the moment that he was able to get that cap loose and his teeth could get a hold of it, he ripped into shreds, he let us know what he thought about he's like no, I don't want this, I would no, no, that dog no cap and gown oh man, it's just a memory.

Justin: 25:05

So that's just our go-to word, so well you and dog life.

Rhett: 25:09

Yeah yeah, dog life. Well, you and I had some good food before we sat down to record this. Oh yeah, man man, we went to a new barbecue place in moody alabama. It was good right, it is good, your neck of the woods got some good barbecue yeah, it's a hole in the wall, little littlewall, little mom-and-pop shop and honestly, they were in another city, about 20 minutes from here. There's raving reviews and then they opened up here and I'm like, let's go, man franchising Butts to Go, is that what it was called?

Justin: 25:35

That's the name Butts to Go.

Rhett: 25:44

Butts but to go. I totally missed that name Barbecue but yeah, it's really good. So you know eating before we sit down and have a conversation. Man, I'm kind of like I'm in that kind of food coma moment right now. Yeah, I had the beef brisket sandwich and I asked the lady. I said, hey, man, you know, I like a really lean meat. She's like oh man, me too. There is absolutely no fat on this. I was like, okay, I'm going to trust you. And cause, I was like, can you give me the lean portions? And and, man, it was really lean. So I had the pork sandwich the other day and now today I had the beef brisket and I would say I like them both, but I think I might like the brisket a little bit better.

Justin: 26:16

Really, yeah, that comes. I mean, that's got some of them Texas years, so I trust your opinion on Bristol.

Rhett: 26:21

It was good man. I think Linda would really like it. Yeah, I mean, I was going to ask her for some burnt ends. That's the determinant.

Justin: 26:28

See Linda if she likes it, because she is, I mean, she's Texas girl all the way.

Rhett: 26:34

Remember Mikey Mikey. Give it to Mikey. Mikey will eat it.

Justin: 26:38

Mikey likes it, you don't remember the 80s commercials. Yeah, Was that cereal yeah it was a cereal commercial.

Rhett: 26:43

Oh, I didn't know how you got on that. Okay, go ahead yeah well, like you were talking about, give it to Linda and let Linda know. It's like it reminds me of Mikey. Oh yes, if you grew up in the 80s it was a cereal commercial Like hey, give it to, else starts eating it, you know it's like gosh your friend mikey would be the, the guy that would try everything.

Rhett: 27:01

He just sit there crunching away. Uh-huh, you're like oh, mikey likes it, mikey likes it. So if linda likes it, that will be the determining factor on whether or not the brisket is.

Justin: 27:11

You know, at least texas approved before you know, of course, you having linda out her brother was the determining factor for me yeah jay lee would let me know if something is good brisket or not.

Rhett: 27:23

So I was never really a brisket guy until.

Justin: 27:25

I moved to Texas yeah.

Rhett: 27:26

And then, once you've had test, once you've had Texas brisket, it's so hard to say. Once you've had it, man you can't get it. It's amazing. I don't know what was about to come out of my mouth. I promise you, I am in a food coma. I'm trying my best to put my words together. I mean one of the last episodes we got on like Poom or something. I'm like what I can't do it with my peas. And now it's Texas. Yeah, texas, brisket.

Justin: 27:57

They know brisket anyway.

Rhett: 28:03

yeah, texas is known for his brisket and alabama is known for its pork and you know every state has its different sauce. Yeah, I was amazed that there wasn't any white sauce at the table there. It is interesting because alabama is kind of known for, you know.

Justin: 28:12

But not everybody's always served white sauce. Yeah, it was always like bob gibson's and decatur and they are like the world-renowned barbecue place and they would have white barbecue sauce.

Rhett: 28:23

So world renowned. This is the first time I've ever heard of it.

Justin: 28:26

You've never heard of Bob Gibson.

Rhett: 28:28

Nope, not once. Well they're good, I don't know what you're saying. It's kind of like what's the barbecue place with the ribs? You're going to say it and I'm going to. I can't even think of it, it's so popular.

Justin: 28:43

It was in Tuscaloosa Baby back ribs place, tuscaloosa. I know I could ask Siri right now and Google and get it. The chef is the mascot. It's got the logo on it.

Rhett: 28:53

Everybody that I talk to across the country.

Justin: 28:56

have you ever had that? I'm like, yeah, what is the name of?

Rhett: 28:59

it. I had that. I'm like, yeah, what is the name of it? Baby, no, baby raised. No, hold on, you're, don't look it up. No, no, no, don't look it up. Try to figure it out without looking it up on the phone.

Justin: 29:07

Okay, ribs, yeah Ribs, it's not full moon, no. It's not only place. I don't go eat.

Rhett: 29:21

I know that's what I'm saying In their world right now? Yeah, that's what I'm saying. What is the name of this place?

Justin: 29:28

We got people listening to this episode. Going, guys, this is the name. Spit it out, but appreciate the fact that we're not looking up Google. No, no, no, no. We're trying to channel to.

Rhett: 29:39

It's baby back ribs. No, it's like it's not baby doughs, that's an old restaurant back in the day. What is it? Let's see here? Oh my gosh.

Justin: 29:48

Best ribs in Birmingham, Alabama. Here we go.

Rhett: 29:51

You gotta say Birmingham, alabama.

Justin: 29:52

You gotta be clear about that. It's not Saul's, oh God, it's not Creekside.

Rhett: 30:06

It is. Hey, friends, want to interrupt our conversation just for one moment to say thank you so much for joining us today and also ask if you are enjoying this podcast. Could you do us a huge favor. Would you take a moment, pull the car over to the side of the road If you're sitting at a red light, copy the link from your favorite podcast platform and send it to a friend? Text it to a friend If you're in the office. Airdrop it to a friend right now. Encourage somebody, Put a smile on their face and let them be a part of this conversation. All right, guys, it really means so much. It really does. Thank you for doing that. Okay, let's get back to the conversation.

Justin: 30:33

It's not Saul's, oh, oh.

Rhett: 30:35

God.

Justin: 30:46

And it's that great, it's like you would think it would have like thousands upon thousands of reviews higher than anybody else, but which is birmingham's own saul's soul kitchen is almost caught up with them.

Rhett: 31:03

Well, I think so I remember with my dad, before we would go and I, you know, I was a kid I was forced to go to these games. It was a lot of fun, great memories. But he would take me to the Alabama games and I remember we'd go to Tuscaloosa, we'd go to the original dreamland, and that was and I was a kid, but I wasn't really big, I was like the cheeseburger with like plain ketchup only, kind of guys. Like I missed out on so much as a kid. I was so picky.

Rhett: 31:31

And so we'd go to those places like that and all I would eat is the bread and the dipping sauce, because they basically give you a loaf of bread.

Justin: 31:38

Yeah, they do.

Rhett: 31:42

With a loaf of bread, yeah, they do. With a rack of ribs they do, and my dad would throw down. I remember the sauce was amazing and the bread, but I just remember the moment in that place and that room and the smell of it and that was just so good. And waiting in line to get into it, yeah. But I guess as I got older, when I actually tried it, they had opened up another location and they've kind of like what do you call it when you begin to duplicate Franchise?

Rhett: 32:00

Yeah, what do you call it when you begin to duplicate Franchise? Yeah, franchising type stuff. I don't know if they do franchises, but either way they've just duplicated so many locations that they began to, I think, lose the quality.

Justin: 32:09

Yeah, that happens.

Rhett: 32:10

Yeah, with barbecue holidays, yeah, the restaurant felt more bougie, more nice and it wasn't like the little tin can hole in the wall place we would go.

Justin: 32:20

Our family I wouldn't go, but like my dad or my papa or my uncle would drive from where we're located in Birmingham, would drive out to Decatur. So you know, hour plus Is that north From here. North, yeah, north of Birmingham, like you're heading towards Huntsville.

Rhett: 32:35

Okay, is that like the Dothan area? No, is it Dothan? No, it would be south, not Dothan. Sorry, what is it? Shoals Coleman, coleman, shoals, yeah.

Justin: 32:44

Shoals, huntsville, huntsville, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I was about to say red Muscle Shoals. There we go, there's the word. I've been on the beach, it's been years and it's been.

Rhett: 32:58

people are like well, it's over in Alabaster. I'm like hold on, where is that? At again, I can't remember.

Justin: 33:03

Well, that's where, oh my gosh, I'm mind blocking.

Rhett: 33:07

We don't need to eat again. It's food coma.

Justin: 33:09

It's crazy we do not need to eat before we do a podcast, because I just said it.

Rhett: 33:13

Dothan, no, and Decatur Decatur Bob Gibson's. Oh yeah, yeah, there you go.

Justin: 33:19

We would drive to Bob Gibson's Okay.

Rhett: 33:21

Our family would bring it all the way back to my grandmother's house.

Justin: 33:25

That's a commitment to get barbecued Because they had the best coconut pie, they had the best lemon icebox and they had the best chocolate pie. I'm not a coconut guy.

Rhett: 33:33

I like coconut. I just don't like this. I like it all right the pie.

Justin: 33:38

Yeah, it's good. Yeah, it's chewy. Lemon icebox is probably my favorite Chocolate pie is really good.

Rhett: 33:43

Lemon pie banana pudding man. She offered us some banana pudding today. I was like, oh, I want it so bad, but I'm going to say no, we said no, never strong.

Justin: 33:53

I knew I was going to grab one of those raspberry granola bars out of your closet in a little while a little, while you mean the fig bars, the fig bars.

Rhett: 34:00

Nature's Bakery fig bars are really good. Yeah, it's not a cookie mother. It's a fig newton. A fig newton, it's not a cookie mother.

Justin: 34:09

Those are good commercials.

Rhett: 34:10

Have you ever seen?

Justin: 34:10

the movie Pixels with Adam Sandler. Yes, a long time ago.

Rhett: 34:14

Man, we were flipping through Netflix last night and we found it and I was like okay it's adam sandler.

Justin: 34:26

No, no telling what this thing's gonna be like, and I don't do not approve everything that's in it.

Rhett: 34:29

But we're like, okay, why not? So we watched it. Oh man, it was bro. Like we laughed so hard. The reason I like with a fig newton reference and uh, mikey, he'll eat it like all of these are like 80s references. Yeah, and what I'm you know. So I am laughing a bunch because adam sandler in almost every movie he's got so many references to the 80s and the soundtrack is all 80s music. Yeah, and the movie was based off 80s arcade games yes, alien invasion.

Rhett: 34:53

I remember that about the game some space capsule up in the 80s with like these video game stuff. They sent it out in the outer space thinking, well, like if somebody, if there are aliens out there, they'll see it and see that earth and the things we like and whatever. And so these aliens, or whatever, took it over and thought we were declaring war into outer space. And so they took our video games like galaga and pac-man and uh centipede, and they were actually like it was so stupid they were becoming that they were actually like.

Rhett: 35:23

That was the attack on America and on the world. Was these video games. It was a prophecy of these video games came true and so the only people that can like save the world was Adam Sandler and this you know other arcade player or whatever. And so they were like nerds and nobodies and they actually got called into action. Sorry if you've never seen the movie and I'm ruining for you. And so they were like nerds and nobodies and they actually got called into action.

Rhett: 35:43

Sorry if you've never seen the movie and I'm ruining for you, if you haven't seen it by now. There's a lot of crazy puns that shouldn't be there. Okay, don't judge me, but like the overall movie the 80s references. That's where I was going with this. It's like it. Just it was like oh my gosh, this took, it brought me back to my childhood.

Justin: 35:58

Well, yeah, you had an eighties reference today because we were talking about our favorite, um like Marvel movies and your favorite superhero movie of the Marvels you love guardians of the galaxy.

Rhett: 36:07

Oh, my God.

Justin: 36:08

And they. I love how they theme the eighties songs maybe late seventies with their music. It's probably more late seventies or early eighties, but it's like cause we were talking about that because you took on a really crazy task this weekend.

Rhett: 36:23

Yeah, yeah, I did At Disney.

Rhett: 36:25

Well, yeah, so I have a friend of mine and some friends, not just a friend pastor in the Orlando area and we went down to kind of celebrate some transitions that were happening there at their church and instead of me going by myself, I was like, hey, let's take Max and Linda, let's go down and we'll go down a day early and then as a family we'll do Disney for a day. Yeah, and if you've ever been to Disney World, it's ridiculously huge. They've got their own highway, massive, you know, infrastructure transit system. It's crazy, and so all the parks are really far apart but they do a good job of being able to get you to connect it. But every time we've ever gone to Disney it's been a minimum of three days, yeah, and this is Disney World of Orlando.

Rhett: 37:05

Yeah, Orlando, florida Disney World, not Disneyland, and so I had grown up going to Disney probably every four or six, seven years or whatever. And so you know, we kind of have done the same thing with Max and we hadn't been in like seven, eight years, and so there's a lot of new rides that did not exist and we were like, okay, we've been, we've ridden some, but let's do something crazy, let's see if we can do all four parks in one day. That's an undertaking. And we did, we did. We actually we left the hotel around six-ish in the morning and we were staying on site, which gives you the ability to actually enter the park before it opens to the public.

Rhett: 37:44

So we went to Animal Kingdom and we rode Mount Everest twice like, got on it, got off and we didn't even have a lightning lane type thing to access, so we knocked that one out. And then we did Pandora, this whole flight thing, which was amazing, and these were the ones we've never done before, and so I could talk for days about this, just those rides alone. Then we rode an Uber because, come to find out, you, the buses that run you from the parks, they do a lot of drop-offs but they don't do pickups until after 10 AM, and so I guess it's a way of trying to crowd control. So we call it a Lyft. Lyft comes gets us from like seven, eight minutes. We're at the entrance of Hollywood studios.

Rhett: 38:23

So my son loves Star Wars, obviously. We saw the Millennium Falcon, we did Rise of the Resistance Amazing ride. I could talk all day about that ride and so we did that, and then around noon we ended up leaving and going over to Epcot, and so then there's two rides there. The Ratatouille is a new one we've never done, and then there was Guardians of the Galaxy.

Justin: 38:41

And, of course, Epcot. If you've never been there, that's usually the one as you grew up. That's the boring part.

Rhett: 38:45

That's the absolute boring part, and they put like the best ride on the freaking planet in that I'm telling you, dude, and I'll get to, I'm going to come back to that. And so then, after that, we went over to Magic Kingdom. We got to Magic Kingdom around like I don't know six or seven o'clock and it was staying open till 1130. It was a late night there. So we're like man, this is amazing, you know, and we ended up only running one ride, which was the Tron ride. I've never done that, I've done all the other ones, and so we did that anyway. So so we did all four parks in one day.

Rhett: 39:18

now, we didn't do the, we did not go to the park to like really hang out and do the park right we, we just went to do those rides and we didn't stay hang out like we, just we were on mission yeah but dude, the guardians of the galaxy cosmic rewind, bro blew my mind at epcot epcot, I mean dude, it's so the boring part. It's so the boring part Epcot. So the food is great there, it's true. When you're older and you want to feel international and almost hit all the beautiful places they do a great.

Justin: 39:50

They have built a mini world. It's unbelievable. It's amazing architecture.

Rhett: 39:54

Yeah, but we weren't there for that. We were there like hey, a day in, let's get everything we can, and hey, a day in, let's get everything we can. And so if you've never been to Disney World, this is not the way to do it.

Justin: 40:03

No.

Rhett: 40:05

No, if you've never been, this is not the way to do it, but we've been a couple times and we were just like, all right, my son's 17. Let's hit the big rides and let's go and Guardians of the Galaxy. I almost don't want to really talk about the experience because I don't want to go, so I will talk about the experience. So if you do not want to know and don't have any spoilers and you want it to be a full surprise, go ahead and and just pause this episode right here and fast forward another 20 minutes in or whatever, and then we'll be past it Probably.

Justin: 40:33

Okay, we're about to talk about this for 20 minutes.

Rhett: 40:34

You're saying maybe I don't know. I don't know how long we'll talk about it, but I think here's their leadership lesson in this too. So it's a roller coaster and it's in the dark, and there's this whole storyline to where, like, you kind of get sucked out of earth and you're out in outer space and this evil person, whatever, is trying to bring attack on you or whatever, and the guardians of the galaxy find out, and you know, there's this interaction. So this is a storyline leading up before you get on the ride. Yeah, and so they find out and they're like man, we're gonna be there and however, however long to get you, whatever you know.

Rhett: 41:08

And so we get on this roller coaster at this point and it looks like a normal roller coaster, like you know, cart one, the car, and I want to ride on the front. Even though it's in the dark, I like riding in the front, it's fun, and so we end up getting to the back and so we're a party of three. So Linda and Max are behind me and then I sit alone, but they pair a single rider and they do this on purpose to keep the line moving. So they paired a single rider with me and before the train left the station, if you will. This lady's like oh, is this your first time? I'm like yes, and do not tell me a thing.

Justin: 41:41

Which is why you gave everybody a fair warning just now.

Rhett: 41:44

Oh man, oh yeah, I was like I don't want to know anything, because I want this to be a surprise. I haven't watched a POV video. I have seen nothing on it. I have no, nothing.

Justin: 41:55

Let me tell the listeners real quick. Hey guys, this is not going to ruin anything for you. He told me all about it this morning and I'm still going to enjoy it.

Rhett: 42:03

It will not ruin it. Yeah, it can. Yeah, it can. It would for me if I was listening.

Justin: 42:09

Well, way to get rid of listeners.

Rhett: 42:11

Yeah, I'm not trying to get rid of you.

Justin: 42:15

I do appreciate your compassion for their heart over wanting to have our listening base Spoiler alert you get on this thing. And Learning to have our listening base Spoiler alert you get on this thing.

Rhett: 42:20

And the front seat is not the front seat, the back seat is the front seat, but you don't know this until the coaster starts. Yeah, so the biblical lesson first. The first shall be last and the last shall be first. So if you get the back seat, just know it's the front seat. But, it doesn't feel like it until you get on the ride.

Justin: 42:35

So if you, don't like the front seat, don't get on the back seat.

Rhett: 42:38

That's what I'm saying If you don't like going backwards either, don't ride this ride, because it is like you think you're normal. You go, you pull in. Now, you're in the dark, you're seeing the Guardians of the Galaxy, stuff happening, and there's stories being told. And so you pull up to this one spot and you're flat. You're not going up a hill or nothing, you're just on a track and you're looking, there's this massive screen and the bad guys like threatening you, and then the guardians of the galaxy, the raccoon, the, the trash Panda, you know rocket, rocket's like guys we're going to get out of here. You know, and, and all of a sudden the, the right, as the bad guys like throwing some kind of fireball or something at you from this screen.

Rhett: 43:18

The rollercoaster then proceed. Now I'm in the back seat, we're going backwards now and it feels like a hundred miles an hour. I know it's not, but it's in the dark. And all of a sudden it's going so fast and you hit up this hill again dark, pitch black, dark, and all of a sudden the cart itself each individual cart begins to turn and to spin, and so the cart that I'm in thinking it's the back seat has now become the front seat and the cart turns and then all of a sudden it is just a bunch of joy and laughter from all the way to the end of this thing, because if you've ever seen Guardians- of the Galaxy Drax.

Justin: 43:52

Is that it? He just laughs, he laughs and he just keeps laughing.

Rhett: 43:59

That kind of sounds like Santa Claus. Oh man, I laughed when that cart spun. We were going backwards and now we're in the front and this cart's spinning. You're watching this video screen. You see all the stars in the sky. The whole goal is that you're so far away from home. The Guardians of the Galaxy have now rescued you and you're going through time really, really fast to get back to Earth. It's a four-minute ride. It feels like it never ends and you are laughing the whole time. And the music man, the soundtrack I mean, from what I found out later is that they have several different songs that they play. So every time you ride it it's a different experience with a different musical background.

Justin: 44:42

But we know it's going to be late 70s, early 80s.

Rhett: 44:45

Oh, easy yeah.

Justin: 44:47

That's their style.

Rhett: 44:49

And it was one way or another.

Justin: 44:52

We're going to get you, we're going to get you, get you, get you, get you one way.

Rhett: 44:56

You know what?

Justin: 44:57

Oh, man and.

Rhett: 44:58

I'm laughing and I am, I mean dude? I feel like I'm a 10, I don't know 7, 8 years old, laughing. I am giggling, Not like a school Dude. I am laughing and I can hear Max and Linda were screaming, but it's laughter, and I laugh for four minutes straight and when it ends and it comes in I won't tell you how you come in flying around the moon and doing the circles around the moon. It's unbelievable. Well, it's amazing.

Justin: 45:27

I'm not going to tell you how you fly and do circles around the moon. I'm not going to tell you about that.

Rhett: 45:32

There's a massive, massive moon and then all of a sudden, after you've kind of spent around the moon a ton, and then it's just. It is just laughter upon laughter upon joy upon so much fun. And you and you feel like you're with the guardians, you feel like you're being rescued, you feel. And then you get to earth and it and I am laughing, and we pull into the station and I'm like people are laughing. It just brought so much joy and laughter and it was. I don't know, man, if you've ridden the ride you know what I'm talking about, but it is. I would go back to Orlando to spend the crazy money just to ride that again.

Justin: 46:08

It was so fun.

Rhett: 46:12

And so we had a good time. And I'll tell you, man, I think I walked like 25,000 steps, and one day, my legs were burning.

Rhett: 46:20

My feet were burning, the back of my legs were hurting, my feet were burning, the back of my legs. It wasn't until yesterday afternoon that I could start feeling my legs again. But then Sunday was amazing and here's something that I share with you was that Saturday although it was so much fun, it was great joy Sunday, with the experience with the pastor and the local church and just the celebration of commissioning that was happening that day. That was fulfilling.

Justin: 46:48

So we had fun.

Rhett: 46:50

We had fun on Saturday, but we were fulfilled as a family on Sunday and I'm not trying to over-spiritualize things, but it got me to thinking and we began to talk about this as a family. But it got me to thinking and we began to talk about this as a family. Disney spent $500 million on a four-minute ride that would bring you laughter. That's not lasting. It's fun but it's not fulfilling. It leaves you wanting more laughter and I think Disney does a beautiful job trying to take the money and the resources in this world to create a, you know, a moment of of peace, of joy, and to get your mind out of where your reality is yeah.

Rhett: 47:26

To paint a picture of what you are, you're hoping for and you're longing for, and you get a little taste of of that, you know, and it and it's and it's good and it's fun, but it's not lasting and it's not fulfilling, yeah. And so they build this like, well, you got to go more and more and more and get it, get it, get it. And you know, you keep feeding yourself with it and again, there's nothing wrong with it, it's great. But the fulfillment came in a small church with a few small people, hearing testimonies and stories of life change of atheists who have given their heart to Jesus.

Justin: 47:59

And now the pastors were a part of this just beautiful story in people's lives. Well, it also just had us thinking. You know, I think my response to you after you told the story is I think in our conversations we naturally go there. We naturally go there and it was the fact that, you know, in Isaiah you know, I was just kind of talking to you about, if you see, if you read, like Isaiah I think it's 6, 1 through 8, you have Isaiah having this vision of the heavenlies, yeah, and it's God on his throne, which you can't even really see him because he's just so majestic.

Justin: 48:30

But the seraphim, the angels are there and all they can say is holy, holy, holy, yeah. And there's two different sides of that. The first one they've been saying holy, holy, holy. And there's two different sides of that. The first one they've been saying holy, holy, holy. I mean for eternity.

Justin: 48:47

Now, and it would be easy to think how boring is that going to be? But I've heard it said before with every holy there's a new revelation of who God is and it's a natural response, like being on that ride In man's mind what we can make up, think of the infinite brilliance that God is. And they're still seeing that after an eternity From the moment they were created by God, they have not stopped saying holy because they're having the time of their life. It's a fresh ride that has no end. They're seeing how holy God is and so we just began to talk about when Isaiah sees that. In scripture you'll also notice that there's like one word that said like gold, when we see pure gold. There's sometimes in the original text it actually doesn't say pure gold, it says gold, gold.

Rhett: 49:33

Yeah, same thing, it wasn't just gold.

Justin: 49:36

And so now the same thing in that other side of holy holy. They weren't just saying holy, they were saying holy holy. But they weren't just saying holy holy, they were saying holy, holy, holy.

Rhett: 49:46

Right, three times, which is almost a there's so much emphasis to that word that the. Hebrew had to write it a couple of times to say this Like it goes beyond. It's more than a double portion. It's like way beyond what you could possibly imagine a whole Infinite, and how Isaiah he saw that.

Justin: 50:03

When he saw that, the presence of God, his first response when he recognized that was just, he was filled with awestruck wonder and really like a it was a that, that healthy fear of God. It was knees trembling. And he sees that and his next response is humility, because he recognizes who am I? Of unclean lips, not even just himself, he's like who are we? So he's just recognizing God, didn't say anything, he just, in his presence, he recognized something which ended up taking him to the next place of. He repented, he had a repentant mindset and the angel takes the coal, cleanses his lips.

Justin: 50:46

We know that scripture. Maybe you're listening. You actually don't know that scripture, so I shouldn't just assume I'm correcting what we said last week. And not just that he's filled with purity after that, just a peace and a spirit. And then God says who will go for us? And he says I will go. And so to get to know a little bit from what I've studied on Isaiah, he actually came from royalty of some sort, whether it was family or whether he was just a part of the king's house. Even there's a scripture that says when King Uzziah died, like he was very close to King Uzziah and it might've even been family. But the point is, isaiah was from a very lucrative home. He hung out with the, the Elitos.

Rhett: 51:33

His dog would have been.

Justin: 51:34

Elito and that's what he was used to. So he was used to some form of living, but in that instant, moment with God, Nothing compared to that.

Justin: 51:44

And when God says who will go for us, he says I will go, send me. And he even says it emphatically, if you look at the text. And so when I see that the mission that God gave him was in fact nothing awesome it wasn't God didn't say you're about to go change the world and be a world changer, and people will know you from all over. You're going to be the next biggest thing. Maybe God says that to some, yeah, but in this case he's basically saying the work you're going to do is not going to be effective, but go and do this and all these trees are going to be cut down. He basically gives an assignment that earthly eyes, we would look and say ooh, yeah.

Justin: 52:26

But God did say but within one of these stumps there will be the seed, and he's prophesying for the seed that's leading to Jesus and the saving power and the saving grace. The point that I make on all that is Isaiah saw something that he no longer cared of the level of how awesome it is to have your assignment from God. He was willing to do anything because anything that kept him tethered to that awestruck wonder, that four-minute Disney ride that can't even compare to the wonder of God when we are captivated by Him. That's why I believe you when you say you had this amazing day of seeing some amazing innovation by people.

Justin: 53:12

I can't wait to go and see it. It's unbelievable. But then you went to a very ordinary service the next day, with just very few people, yeah, and you encountered the living God and it was something that cannot be explained. But there was more fulfillment 100% In that accomplishment than accomplishing knocking out four parks in one day 100%.

Rhett: 53:34

Yeah, and I think that's you know, when we were talking about that over lunch a little bit, we were sharing that and thinking, man, this would be a good conversation to bring people in on. I think this world, like everybody's looking for hope, they're looking for fulfillment and they're trying to find it in so many different ways. And the world they do a really good job of trying to create a counterfeit. You know, heaven and the count, like I was thinking about the avatar, the flight Pandora, like it's the. You know, if you're watching the movie Pandora and you see how beautiful it is, like Disney creates this world that you walk into and you feel like you're in it, and then you're actually on this ride and you're immersed in it with 3d. So they do everything they possibly can to get you to immerse yourself in this in this moment.

Rhett: 54:21

That doesn't last, but that your soul longs for, and whether or not you can pinpoint that and and know like there's this hole we're all trying to fill Right and so, having that hole already been filled, I can enjoy it and I know it doesn't fulfill me but like in this moment, like the Pandora's flight thing, you know you're flying, it's not a dragon, it's a Banshee and you're flying and you feel like you're in the air, like you go through waterfalls and water splashing on you.

Rhett: 54:46

You go through these flowery moments and you smell the, the uh, you know the aroma of the, of the flowers and you're like soaring hundreds of feet in the air and it's all visual arts and you know perspective shifts, but like it brings a tear to your eye. I'm like a grown man. I'm like, oh, my God, this feels like heaven. And then it ends and you're like this is not heaven, this was all manufactured, right, yes, but it speaks to the need of humanity for the hope of eternity and the hope of the glory and the hope of the all of God. And so that's why, when I go and you experience this fun, it's not lasting. But then you go and you experience something very simple but yet so powerful that can speak to your soul in a way that is so rewarding and so like, oh, okay, man, this is what it's all about, and you ready for this? It revolves around relationships and people, man, that's what it is.

Rhett: 55:39

It's the people aspect, it's the people aspect, it's the stories, it's the conversations, it's the that. To me, those are the moments that really stood out and go, man, you know, we did have fun yesterday, but, man, there's nothing like being in the presence of God, with God's people. And you know, until you experience it, man, like I'm telling you, man, like I know people argue this all day long, but I'm not at the mercy of an argument, because I had the experience.

Justin: 56:06

Yeah, that's right, right and so and there's well, and I think there's an encouragement to that we live in the now and the not yet. So when I say we live in the now, these, we have these opportunities for these extraordinary moments and these ordinary moments. You just described an extraordinary moment and it was great, but you described this ordinary moment that was eternal, and that's all we can do right now is be in the now, and we'll talk about the not yet in a moment. But when you're living in the now, I feel like the reference to Spaceballs we're in now, now.

Rhett: 56:41

When Then? Right now Now now.

Justin: 56:46

What happened then? Missed it when, just now, just now, but literally we live in the now, and it's just like Isaiah. It might not have been this epic achievement, it might have been this seed that was planted within this stump that was already cut down, but something eternally epic happened with that, and he didn't necessarily see it, but it would happen thousands of years later. And so this now is learning. This contentment of God has amazing purpose for every one of us and we're going to find it in the ordinary now that's happening. But when we talk about the not yet, that's eternity. And I do believe when we get to have fun, the reason we go to theme parks, the reason we crave this excitement, god has wired us for this and we know that we can't accomplish that level on earth right now. Our bodies couldn't stand it.

Justin: 57:42

Yeah, I just happen to believe. I mean he's made this universe. We can't even comprehend that is. I mean now people are like there's actually more than one. You know it's all this stuff and the not yet we're going to have our minds blown by God. The places that we'll get to explore, I can only imagine and get to come back just to be in His presence and get to go. And God's omnipotent, it's like he's there with us. He's here. Our minds can't even comprehend the wild ride that is going to be eternity, which will have us saying at all times, holy, holy, holy, because it's just, we're not going to believe it. It's like the day you wake up and something awesome happens and you're like, oh my gosh, this day is awesome and something keeps happening, but then this is now. It's going to shut down on you.

Rhett: 58:31

See, to me it's that laughter that I had at the end of the whole ride. I was just laughing because I was overtaken by the surprises and the things that I wasn't expecting and I was like, wow, this is way beyond what I could ever imagine a roller coaster ride ever being your brain can't take it.

Rhett: 58:45

I couldn't take it and all I could do is laugh Right. And when I got off it I was still laughing and we were laughing, we were walking out and I could only think that eternity in heaven it's going to be that times a gazillion more than we could even possibly think or imagine, you know, based off what scripture teaches us. So to me, like that's why I can't wait for heaven, I mean like I'm grateful I'm created to live in the now and on earth and I'm going to do everything I can to make the most of it. But I'm not living for now, I'm living for eternity, because the joy that awaits me through Christ Jesus, but even the kingdoms and the universes and the galaxies and all this stuff that we don't really talk a lot about, but that's in the book of Revelation, that is just going to blow our mind. And so I laugh and I have this rejoice and again I say rejoice because, great is your reward.

Justin: 59:32

Yeah, fresh revelation every second.

Rhett: 59:33

Yeah, you thought that ride that had you giggling and laughing the whole time was amazing.

Justin: 59:38

You just wait man, I'm gonna take you on. I gave this guy or girl who made that ride exactly I gave them a sliver of the innovation I have. Yes, here's an eternity of you thought that was something.

Rhett: 59:50

Yeah, buckle up on the next episode of armchair.

Justin: 59:56

That person who's got 80, 90, 100, 200, that is as beautiful an expression as this mammoth of a church. They're both an expression of the body of Christ. There's a balance that we should be appreciating, which is obedience, the body of Christ.

Justin: 1:00:12

And it requires a heck of a lot of humility to be able to do that. Not everybody needs to remember you. You need to be a good steward of who God has put in your life and make an impact on who those are, whether it's 10 or whether it's a thousand. But you do want to be a faithful steward, whether you were given the five talents, the two talent or the one talent.

Rhett: 1:00:32

At the end of the day, did you do what was in your heart to serve people? Well, great. Same thing with large church, small church, it's like. Are you being obedient to what?

Justin: 1:00:44

God's put in your heart and ultimately, are you content that God is enough for you? You might not be a leader that's out front of everybody, but everybody could aspire to be a pillar.

Rhett: 1:00:53

What do pillars do they support? In other words, they lay their lives down to see other people lifted. It just means so much to us. Thank you for your support and your love, friends. We cannot wait to continue this journey next week right here at Armchair, authentic. Until then, have a great week, stay safe. God bless you and we will see you next time.