Rhett: 0:00

Imagine a world where every conversation feels like a genuine connection with authentic people. A place where you truly feel like you belong and where everyone's got a cheer at the table. Friends, welcome to Armchair Authentic. Okay, Justin, so it's no secret that uh for the most part, 99% of the time you and I, before we start a conversation, we always have coffee in hand. It's the must. Yeah, typically Starbucks right here in the great city of Moody, Alabama. Great, great town. Yes, and uh it got a lot better when coffee arrived. I agree. Just gonna say stepped it up. And then again, it you know, I guess the the other side is like, well, it was it really good now that you're spending that kind of money on coffee, you know, when you could make it yourself. Well, we could go there, but I'm not gonna go there. That's not the point of the story. So I'm grateful for the friends that I have at Starbucks and that I've made um, you know, this year, um just by going through and trying to be friendly and saying hello to people. And yeah, there's this sweet uh young lady. Uh she'll remain nameless, but um when I came through the wind came through the window, like I jumped through the window. No, when I pulled up to the window uh to make a payment, she was like, Oh my gosh, it's been forever, you know, because it has for this um young lady, super nice. She said, I keep getting like a friend suggestion of you like on Facebook, and she said, I'm noticing we got a lot of mutual friends. She said, Are you in theater? I was like, because and before I could even respond, then she just kept going. She was like, Because a lot of our mutual friends are friends of mine who are in theater. And so I'm like, What? I have to ask him, Are you in theater? And uh, you know, I it put a smile on my face because you know, and even as I'm telling this right now, I am dramatic. I am. I was like, Are you saying this because I come through and I'm like, hey, how are you doing? What's going on? You know, or or are you saying I don't know, I don't know the agenda behind the question, but then it was genuine, like, no, like I'm in theater, I'm in the Leeds theater, and I do this and that, and a lot of our mutual friends are theater people. And I'm just like, how like what in the world? Are you in theater? And the smile on my face was like, Wow, it's been a long time since anybody has ever mentioned theater in Rhett Barton. And part of me was like, Yeah, well, I I mean, I kind of I was actually. You wanted to bring it back.

Justin: 2:31

It was like a few decades. You do not understand what's in me right now. I was like, I'm so close to being like, hello my baby.

Rhett: 2:41

Hello, my baby, hello, my dad.

Justin: 2:45

I'm dabbling. I've been known to be a little piss being every now and then.

Rhett: 2:53

But no, and and for those who who don't know, I I love theater, like I love performing. And like a part of me was like, Oh, I miss this. You know, I miss this. Like, finally I can talk to somebody who gets it, you know, and she's just going, Oh my god, theater this is. Yeah, we're on the we're we're talking the same language, you know. And um I'm laughing because what my wife and son see, like the other night, we were just hanging out, and uh, wasn't planning on saying this, but um, I do a lot of talking, and I know we we you know we can relate to this. They're looking at me like, you got any words? I can't believe you still got words. I might as well just going. And I'm like, uh the TV is muted, and I'm just like it. It's those stupid drug commercials where they've got the fake families, and the people are like just being, it's like it's so dumb. It makes no sense, and they don't even look like they're just they're playing basketball, but that's not how you play basketball. They're out there smiling and laughing and pass me the ball. Let me pass you back the ball. Hey, good job, man. I'm like, and I'm the TV's muted, and I'm sitting there just all by myself, just creating dialogue to this thing. Like they're over here in their own little world, and then I'm I'm like just having fun. And and then I glance over and they're both their eyes are cut at me, like, are you kidding me? And they were overstimulated by this point with with me, right? And Linda was like, like the reel it in, like that, that that I can't do it, like you know, where you take the the the sign language of it, if you will, and like shh, like bring it in, shutting your hands as you push it away from your face. Yeah, that's it. Yeah, yeah. You're describing what I'm physically doing right now. Yes, and so I was like, what? And they're like, at what point does it ever shut off, dude? I'm like, I was like, guys, I am a creative. This is how God has wired me. Yeah, I love being silly and crazy and making up stuff. This is where the greatest ideas come from. It's sitting around like there are people getting paid a lot of money doing stupid stuff like I am right now. Well, they're like, Well, can you make us a lot of money then doing it? Because right now you're not.

Justin: 5:09

It's like I can make people laugh doing this. I can make people laugh.

Rhett: 5:14

I was like, Justin and I used to sit around for hours and just watch TV on mute.

Justin: 5:18

I'm laughing at myself because none of you are paying attention, and this is funny.

Rhett: 5:23

Anyway, so you take that aspect and you put me in Starbucks, and somebody's like, Are you in theater? I'm like, Yes, I'm in theater, but I'm not.

Justin: 5:33

I wouldn't really show have you been in it. It's about 30 years ago. Mr. Herzog, it's a little Christmas drama we did.

Rhett: 5:44

I was like, Well, I was in opera and I went to college on a scholarship for singing, and I was did some opera stuff. I could have gone to Broadway if I wanted to. Yes, yes, yes. But I and I literally found myself in, you know, I was texting you, already had the text pulled up, like, hey, I'm leaving Starbucks now. Send it, already had it pulled up so you would know. And and then she's handing me my coffee, and we're just talking. Yeah, there's like five cards behind us. I'm like, ah, they can wait. We're talking theater, man.

Justin: 6:10

Yes, I was I was in the Merry Widow. I was in the Merry Widow. We packed the thing.

Rhett: 6:16

Three shows solidly sold out, singing with this lady, can't even remember her name. He's a gone, gone. I don't remember. Oh, yeah. I was like, I just remember for months, you know, preparing and doing all the stuff. Uh Alabama Symphony Orchestra. And do you remember Alabama Ballet Company?

Justin: 6:40

And then we contracted in some of these well-known like opera stars.

Rhett: 6:45

Yeah, one guy from Broadway and one lady from where with Germany, where was it? Hungaria, and with the Mary Women.

Justin: 6:51

We didn't know who they were, but it was the crowd knew. Yeah, yeah. I mean, we were trained, we had worked hard, and now we're singing with these guys, and and it's like, I don't know who these people are, but evidently they're a big deal.

Rhett: 7:04

Yeah, and I had a frontline part where I was singing with these guys, and I had a speaking part. Oh, and what's funny about that, I think I was supposed to say like a cuss word or something, and I told them I was that I'm not singing that. They're like, they're like, you have to. It's written that way. I was like, no, I'm sorry. Yeah, I was like, I'm a I'm a worship leader at a church down the road. Some of these church people are gonna come up in here, so you're gonna have to give me another word. So I think it was like uh the Hoover Dam. You know, you you want to make sure you dam the water, yeah, right? And I said, darn it instead of that.

Justin: 7:35

Um darn it.

Rhett: 7:37

Darn it, you know, or whatever it was. It just didn't have the same effect.

Justin: 7:40

The Captain America of opera. Exactly. He does not cut us. And so, anyways, language. Language.

Rhett: 7:49

Oh, yeah, that's funny. Um, but yeah, that's funny.

Justin: 7:53

Iron Man's like, uh, is anybody gonna they're in the middle of battle? Is anybody gonna recognize Captain just corrected us and said language?

Rhett: 8:00

Yeah, language. Yeah, wasn't that Tony Stark's response? Yeah, yeah. So they they did let me do that, um, and which I was like, well, you know. Yeah, they changed it for them. They did. Well, I changed it for them, but you know, they allowed it. They're like, okay, yeah, all right, right. Ain't gonna say it. Yep, not saying it anyway. Can't get anybody else, no understanding. Yeah, that theater stuff, though. Like, all of all of a sudden I feel like I'm I was like, Well, that was decades ago. I told her. I was like, that was decades ago, but it didn't matter, yeah. You know, and then I found myself like you need to go listen to our podcast. We were talking to Matt Gaplin over in Broadway in New York, and this and you're talking about how much more he enjoys community theater, you know. It's just like, oh, I've heard the same thing, you know. Oh, yeah. Like all these people, they sign their life away to do these things, then they can't do community theater anymore. And it's like that was where the joy was.

Justin: 8:43

That was where the man, there's a whole deal you could unpack in that the small things are where it's at. That's where the fun was. Yeah. When you get signed up to something big, you're kind of told what to do. What you can no longer do, yes, all of a sudden now it's like, well, I don't want you to tell me what I can't do.

Rhett: 8:58

Yeah.

Justin: 8:59

They're like, now um, since we have we have acquaintances and dear friends who are kind of on the scene right now, getting um ready for what will be unveiled in the future. And they're kind of getting prepared in a home right now. I'm hearing stories and I'm like, how's that process going?

Speaker 5: 9:19

Yeah.

Justin: 9:19

With your family member. Yeah. And they um and they're basically saying, Well, this week he had to bleach his eyebrows, you know, or they're having to they're basically forming you into the idea that they have for you. Now that they're in the big time, if you will, are prepping for it, it's not really the talent that got him in. He's having to be chiseled into the image that they're gonna want to present him, just like on some of these big deals. So, yeah, in the end, community theater theater in this world is is what you miss the most.

Rhett: 9:55

You know, I think it's interesting how it's like what you're in to get you to the next is like you can't really enjoy it, then you get to the next, and it's like, well, I miss where I'm in. I miss where you were. Like I didn't realize how much joy was in just doing it for the joy. It was the joy, but it wasn't necessarily that thing, even though that thing can be really, really cool to experience it. So I I've been going so all of this to say I've been going through a process and I'm always doing it, and trying to ask myself the question of Lord, you've given me this gift, this gift, this gift, the this whether it's communication, you know, acting, theater, all that stuff, right? Like, how can I use that? Because I think some gifts are there like to be used, and I don't know, like I the just the avenue for it, right? And so I'm always asking myself, how am I stewarding that which you've given me in a way that honors you? Always. And um, and so I left that conversation as I'm driving here back to the house this morning.

Justin: 10:55

Yeah, I'm like, huh, Leeds Community Theater. Yeah. I wonder what I could do to honor God in that space.

Rhett: 11:00

You know, I'm already fired up. I'm already like, let me go look it up. Yeah, you know, and she was, I was like, well, and like I told her, I said, well, follow me, and then that way I can like see, you know, whatever you're doing in the theater stuff. And I said, I I love theater, so I'd love to come out and like watch one. She's like, Oh, we just rapped one. I was like, Oh, rapped. I missed that word. We just rapped a show. I'm like, oh, she said I was the stage manager for it. I was like, oh anyway, and so I was like, oh man, I know I can't do everything, but there are parts of me that are like, oh man, maybe I'll just be that old guy. Yeah. Once my son's out, and I'll just be the I'll just play the old man parts in every welcome roll theater.

Justin: 11:40

And it might just be AAT theater. I mean armchair authentic theater.

Rhett: 11:44

Anyway, Rhett Barton coming to Leeds Community Theater real soon. Just kidding. But that's how my mind works. Maybe not. No, maybe not. Maybe you're not kidding. Maybe maybe I'm not. I mean, it's alive. I'm gonna have to, I'll be like, well, I'm not saying that. I'm not saying that. I'm not doing that. And I'm doing they'll be like, well, we don't need you. Okay. But I'm really good. You're like, well, okay, we'll make it a good thing.

Justin: 12:11

You're laying in the bed saying nothing most of the time. Until your grandson who you're mooching off of has access to the chocolate factory. Yeah. All of a sudden you can jump up and you can walk. The mom was carrying Charlie, little Charlie. She could not even make it, barely make ends meet. She's working at some laundromat, can't do anything, comes home, makes soup and porridge for the four grandparents who are bedridden. And you can't jump up and help her at all. But Charlie gets a golden ticket and boom! I never thought that I could be over the hill with ecstasy. And now you've got the golden ticket. You even said I've got the golden ticket. It's Charlie's.

Rhett: 12:50

Last thing Charlie needed was chocolate.

Justin: 12:53

And now his grandpa is like all of a sudden able to do acrobatics in the room. How's the mom over there? Is there a what would the camera look like to the mom over there? Like, you must be kidding me.

Rhett: 13:07

You've been laying up in that bed the whole time. I've been feeding you soup and porridge and acting like you were like a dying over here. Now you're flipping and doing it.

Justin: 13:15

I needed a father figure for my son. Where have you been? You've just been laying over there. I've been changing your diapers. Yep. I've been doing all this, and my son is going to the chocolate. It just took a little bit of chocolate. You just think people do anything for chocolate. And now you got some. What if what if he wanted to take me to the chocolate factory? Instead, he's taking grandpa, who all of a sudden could be in the circus with those acrobatics.

Rhett: 13:44

And I need to watch that movie again because I forget all those scenes.

Justin: 13:46

Yeah. I was watching a funny thing on YouTube.

Rhett: 13:49

The newest one with Johnny Depp.

Justin: 13:51

No, I'm talking about the old one. Both. I mean, look at well, but yes, I'm talking about the one we grew up with with Gene Wilder. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's the best. Yeah. I mean, there's a guy who framed it in a way in the end that the villain of the movie was grandpa.

unknown: 14:05

What?

Justin: 14:06

And it's so funny the way they they do it. It's so crazy how people can just spin a story. Because it's like, look how he gets up all of a sudden. And then it's like, well, okay, that is interesting. And then uh there's another part where it's like he gets to do this, and the grandpa's like, Can I come? And it's like, look how selfish he is. Yeah. And then at the end, when he wins to the chocolate factory, and Willie Wonka says, I want you to live here. And the grandpa's like, Can we live there too? And so when he spins it, it's like, Wow, grandpa, you're only thinking about yourself in this movie. Interesting. Almost get Charlie killed going up with the like the drinking the bubble drink. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Unless you learn that you got a bird to go back down. Almost killed his grandkid. How cool was that as a kid? Yeah. So I'm taking the wonder out of the movie. Yeah, now anyway, you could be Grandpa Joe. On Willy Wonka. You could go do that. He's got a lot of joy, evidently. He can he can cartwheel.

Rhett: 15:01

Yeah, well, I mean, I I don't know. I that was my sidetrack on Willy Wonka. It's just so funny to me how like something so small can just spark like, ooh, for me at least. Man, I and I know I'm different.

Justin: 15:13

You know that we're the same in that.

Rhett: 15:15

So different. You know, there's some people who are more practically mindset and like, mm-mm. You know, well, stay inside my little box. Yeah. Like, I do man, I want to be outside the box as much as I can.

Justin: 15:26

That's what we love about our wives. I mean, with summer, yeah, she has been able to hear so many random dreams. You know, because something gets sparked.

Rhett: 15:37

Yeah. She's like, You've been hanging around red again, dad gummit.

Justin: 15:42

Well, but I'm the same. It it yes, it but it's also it's just a wiring. Like I can go, yeah, I can watch a movie and think, mm-hmm. Mm-hmm that yeah, that it's like seriously, one of my all-time favorite movies, which I watched it on the plane on the way home from Idaho. Okay. Secret Life of Walter Middy. Oh, yeah, yeah. It's a good one. That one gets me. I've seen one time for the reason though, it gets me. It just awakens things, which is you start to, you know, we we can unpack as we have on all of our episodes, and we'll do you know, even more coming up. But you it's it's cool how art I think God's just so sovereign. Yeah, that little things can activate in our in our bodies. So I think even little things like that, it awakens little, yeah. Whether it's excitements or even traumas, it wakes things up and you realize that oh man, I used to hold back on some of this, or oh man, I didn't fully and so movies like for me, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. You know, I've joked around before on one of our podcasts, afraid of flying. So certain step outs nervous to do.

Speaker 5: 16:52

Right.

Justin: 16:52

And that movie is so about that. So I can watch that movie and I'm laughing and I'm crying. I mean, I know you heard me laughing in the airplane.

Rhett: 17:00

Oh, yeah, I did. I was like, hold that's Justin, he's having a good time back there on that middle seat.

Justin: 17:04

You were in front of me.

Rhett: 17:05

We had the middle seats on the way back. I was like, come on now.

Justin: 17:08

I was just, I was, I was loving it. It's just one of my favorite movies. Yeah. And it's it's why we've talked about this before, Top Gun Maverick. I literally was thinking that, yeah, Top Gun 2. When it came out, yeah, like it's like it's documented by these uh licensed therapists around the timeline of that movie. There was a trajectory, like a big growth there of men who began meeting with counselors. Wow. Because there's something about the timeline, because that was released in what 86, 87, 88. We were young. Yeah. Uh we were like eight years old. 30 years ago. Yeah, a long time ago. And when that movie was released, a lot of these men, the place they are in their life now, they're in their 40s. They're looking back, and it just it awoke some things in them when they're seeing them play football on the beach.

Rhett: 17:59

Yeah, literally, I got out of that movie. And the first thing I the first thing I did out of that movie was I got to text Justin. Oh, you did. I was like, bro, you gotta watch this movie. I don't want to ruin it. Yeah, but there is a scene in this movie that took me back, and I don't want to tell you what scene it is, because then you'll know what I'm talking about. But then there's this really cool song that's gonna be like, I I hit, I already knew it. I was like, this song is gonna be hit. I don't know how long it is, but I was like, there's something about this scene. And I did I not text you that? Oh, you did. I don't know, I don't remember how I worded it, but I was trying to code it to go like go watch it, and I want to see if you have the same experience at the same moment.

Justin: 18:33

As I'm reading your text, I'm thinking, I need number one, I need to watch this movie because I know something's gonna awaken inside of me that got writ. Yeah. Number two, I've been sitting in meetings and I've heard how this movie has triggered a lot of people. There you go. I didn't know that. That's true. Oh, yeah. So I'm reading this thinking, oh wow. Yeah, but it was the football scene on the beach.

Rhett: 18:51

Yes.

Justin: 18:51

I remember yeah, because when I watched it.

Rhett: 18:53

I didn't tell you that at the time, but when you watched it, then we talked about it.

Justin: 18:56

I told you the scene that really stood out to me was that football scene on the beach. You're like, that's the one. Yeah, that's the one I didn't want to tell you about. And so I was hoping you had the same experience. Oh, it was getting me. Oh, yeah. I was ready to, I was like, Yeah, me and Micah, we need to get some of our buddies and go. Buddy, yeah. And just talk through life. Yeah. Go throw some football.

Rhett: 19:14

I'm even getting chills right now. I I know you can't see it with what I'm wearing, but I'm I'm getting chills, not at that scene, but even just the thought of the theme music. Yeah. When it first started, that music, there's something about just how powerful music is, right? You know, like almost went into the chariots of fire there for a minute. And I'm like, wait, that's not soft.

Justin: 19:34

No, it's got just that epic, they're on the aircraft carrier kind of thing. Yeah, the haze in the background, the sun's rising. Yeah.

Rhett: 19:40

Oh man, and just they relived the beginning of that scene, but then it took me back to being like nine, ten years old or however old we were.

Justin: 19:48

I still remember being in like Jeff, his name was Jeffrey Mulberry. Why does that name? Well, he was we were in L we were first grade, second grade together, third grade. He was at Parkway, and I don't know that you ever knew him, other than he might come in. I think he came to my apartment a few times, and you would have got to hang out with him. I think you talked about him a lot, and then I showed up and I ripped you away from him.

Rhett: 20:10

That's it.

Justin: 20:11

That could have been part of it. Well, there were there was a good thing, good and bad. The good thing was we would go to his house and he had this tree. You could like climb in and we would put on fight, he had these fighter pilot helmets.

Speaker 5: 20:22

Oh, wow.

Justin: 20:22

And we would put him on and in the tree. Yeah. Well, to us he was because he had a house and we lived in an apartment.

Speaker 5: 20:29

Yeah, yeah.

Justin: 20:29

But we would uh have these helmets and we'd just be in the tree and just like acting like we're flying like these jets. And I thought, I want to be just like every man watching that. I want to be a fighter pilot.

Rhett: 20:40

Oh, I wanted to be a fighter pilot, I wanted to be an astronaut, I want space camp.

Justin: 20:44

Well, see, I remember that with you wanting to be an astronaut. Because I watched space camp.

Rhett: 20:48

Yeah, and my family lived in Huntsville.

Justin: 20:50

And you were hoping that you and Leah Thomas, who is the girl in the movie, could go to the moon. We're not gonna go there.

Rhett: 20:55

I'm not gonna talk about that on this conversation. I am happily married. Um I am wonderfully married. Yes, 20 years in April. That's right. And so but yeah, I I can't believe you remember that. I remember because you so wanted to be a good one. Thompson?

Justin: 21:16

I mean, she was awesome, but I did every 80s, like I never got into space camp as much. Oh there was something there was something traumatic with me that I didn't realize till later. But any any movies where you're like on a submarine underwater, water type movies and space movies, other than like Star Wars. Well, other than that, I could not stand the thought. Like I had to stay grounded on Earth.

Rhett: 21:40

Well, number one, uh, my mom was from Huntsville, my family was there. I drove by the Huntsville Space and Rocket Center all the time. I went to the museum. Yeah. I mean, if you don't know anything about Huntsville, obviously the President Trump just made an announcement that they're moving Space Force from Colorado to you know, uh to Huntsville. And I think it is so funny. He's like, and it will forever be known as Rocket City. I'm like, dude, Trump, it's been called Rocket City since they built the Rockets here in the 70s. And everybody's gonna be like, you know, it's like forever it's gonna be known. I'm I'm staking a claim in this, and I, you know, love or hate them.

Justin: 22:15

As a matter of fact, they've already got the signs out, and some of them have a bit of an old look, and we did that on purpose. Purpose made it look like it's always been the Rocket City.

Rhett: 22:25

I'm calling it Rocket City. I'm like, bruh, it's been Rocket City for decades, man. Oh, it's so funny, you know.

Justin: 22:32

But that's true because you came from there, so you did have more of that work.

Rhett: 22:37

So when I watched the movie, I was like, I've been there. That's fake. But the only thing is, I was like, I've never went to the space camp. It was like a week worth of like everything you saw in the movie Space Camp was filmed in Huntsville. Yeah, and it's real. That's all of that was real.

Justin: 22:51

Everything that they think the robot didn't blast you in the street.

Rhett: 22:54

Except them actually getting on a real space shuttle and taking off in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Justin: 23:00

Yeah, really allowing the flames to kick in. I'm like, that'd be risky.

Rhett: 23:03

But all the stuff they went through, I was like, Oh, I've been there, I've done that, I've seen that. I want like, but like for me as a kid, like I just I was like, I want to do space camp. Like, it was like, I don't know, yeah, two two grand for a week. Yeah. Oh my god. And you actually yeah, it was expensive, or maybe it's $1,200 somewhere in there.

Justin: 23:19

But that's a lot of money in the 80s. That's a lot now. Can you imagine how much that was then?

Rhett: 23:23

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, that's what I'm saying.

Justin: 23:25

A lot of rich astronauts, right?

Rhett: 23:27

And so this is where all the engineers send their kids to learn how to like, you know, to for a week worth of like being trained like an astronaut. And I was like, put me in it. I want to do it. Put me in, coach. I'm ready to play today. So anyway, all that to say, I won't. Now you just took me to the Barons game when we were kids. Hey, back to Philly's Karen. No, anyway, the she is loving the fact that nobody's talking about her anymore.

Justin: 23:58

She got let loose real quick, didn't she?

Rhett: 24:00

No one's talked about her again ever since. But but the you know, the space camp mindset was like, I always wanted to go, and I was really disappointed that I never got to do that. So disappointed. Even now you can hear my voice. I'm like, I really wanted to do that because I so like wanted to be an astronaut, and I so wanted to in Top Gun. I so wanted to be a fighter pilot. I don't know what it is about a little kid or or a boy for that matter, dreaming about this kind of stuff. But like, yeah, back to the whole point.

Justin: 24:30

It does taste even but that original Top Gun, even not even just telling you about Top Gun, but I'll walk yesterday. I was with the family, like me and Summer went to go play pickleball just to go enjoy that with our two.

Rhett: 24:40

You'll have yet to do that.

Justin: 24:41

Linda's it's it's so fun. But we're doing this, and where we're playing, I'm walking back to the car and there's a beach volleyball court. Oh and I'm watching these guys play. Why aren't we up there? And it just it's it's amazing how it just automatically gets me and it takes me back to like yeah, it does. So it's like there's great memories, and I'm just one to believe. Once again, I won't stop here because this is the kind of moment I would normally say, All right, lock in right here, because I got some things to say. But there is the whenever I get those thoughts, I invite it more. And my first word is like, Lord, yeah, there's something on the past that I'm not bound by it. So I live in forgiveness and grace, and you can't live in regret. So none of this is regret, but I do invite the work that the Holy Spirit can still do in our life. So I find myself going back to the past on things, almost to go retrieve some things that maybe young Justin or younger Justin, who wasn't aware of some of these things, because he was just so young and protecting himself and only knew the condition of the world that was around him. Now that I've grown and I've been equipped and I'm still learning, but I go back and I'll look into those moments to realize man, there's some pieces that I still carry with me and I don't realize it. It's why it gets certain reactions. So I just take it to the Lord and know that this is gonna be an unending process. And it's not by it's not bondage to me, right? But it is peeling the onion. Yeah. And I'll say, Lord, there's a reason there I'm getting a reaction from this. And it's not a past regret because past mistakes happen, past terrible things happen. But I'll look at the past and realize there are things I can't do anything about.

Speaker 5: 26:29

Yeah.

Justin: 26:30

But at the same time, I still want that story to be told, and I also want to do what work I can get from that. So that's why it yeah, it gets me when we get to even talk about this stuff, like with movies.

Speaker 5: 26:44

Yeah.

Justin: 26:44

And you can't just go there with anybody because if if you're not ready to have ears to hear, right, you'll just think I'm a loon. But when me and you can talk, I think that's what makes us so good getting to have conversation. Because this is really our talks when we are walking around or having coffee, because we can go back and forth, and it's like God uses our relationship to unlock things, yeah, and just go deeper and deeper. So anyway, when I think about some of that stuff, it's it's an ongoing process with me, but it's a welcome process knowing that God has a story, He's writing in all of us. Yeah. And there is power when you can look back, yeah, not in regret, but to retrieve some things that can still be active in your life, even right now.

Rhett: 27:31

Yeah, you know, and the theater thing, I know that's kind of how this whole like conversation got birthed. You know, I I I'm always like, um, why? Why I I guess I ask myself this a lot. Why am I the way I am? And oftentimes I try to go back and look and go, well, is it because I wasn't I didn't have a lot of attention given to me, so therefore I was trying to vie for attention and therefore I became an extrovert, introvert. You know, people are like, You're not an introvert. Well, I'm I I kind of am more than people think I am. Yeah, you know, but um like and anyway, it opens a whole, I don't know, a Pandora's box of going, what, why, you know, and then maybe I'm just maybe I was just always innately wired that way. Because I go back and I've always been like, hey, you know, performer. Yeah, that's right. Which is which is a good thing, but it's a bad thing when you get redeemed, you know, through Christ, and then you bring that performance mindset into you know, feeling like, well, now I guess I'm a performer and I gotta get to do these things to get this kind of attention, so I need to perform for God, you know?

Justin: 28:37

Oh yeah.

Rhett: 28:37

And and whether you're a performer or not, like I think that's one of the easiest things where like we have to earn God's love, we have to earn God's righteousness. Even though I know that grace is a gift, yeah, and I know that it's free, and Christ has done it, there's nothing that I can do to earn it, but yet I feel as if that's been a big journey for me through the years of going, I don't, I don't have to, I don't have to earn God's righteousness. Yeah, you know, fruit does have to be a part of that though. Like you when you come into a relationship with God, yeah, it is grace, and and that's a beautiful thing. Um but it doesn't mean we just sit back and do nothing. And I really love um I don't know his name. He preached this past Sunday. Jamil. Jamil. Yeah, did a phenomenal job. Yeah, he did. Go to church of the highlands.com, uh, you know, and and and listen back to I think it was Sunday, October 11th or 12th, something like that. He was just talking about serving, you know, and it took the whole legalism out of it, you know, and kind of put it like there's a whole nother side of the page, if you will. Yeah. And I don't want to tell this story, you need to go listen to it. I'll like, ah, that's I'm still in that. That was really good. Oh, yeah. But there's a whole nother side, there's more to salvation than just you know, being saved from our sins. Now it's like, now go and live, experience God's goodness so you can live God's goodness so people can see God's goodness in your life. Yeah. Like, you know, by loving and being caring and being kind and and and and living a life of generosity and serving actually allows people to see the goodness of God. And so I used to get it twisted in my early relationship thinking, well, I got to go do that so that I'll continue to maintain my not righteousness, but like God's smiling on me as long as I'm doing all this stuff. Oh, yeah. And it's like, no, no, no, that's not it. The byproduct of you just being with God in that relationship with God is that, man, I just God's transformed me and now I'm living a transformed life. And now the byproduct of that transformed life is that I am being generous with my time, with my talent, with my treasure. I am being kind because I'm experiencing kindness. I'm not being kind just to be kind so I can continue to be good with God. No, like it's a byproduct of being in a relationship. Yeah. And that byproduct is what then shows the goodness and the love and the kindness of God to other people around us. And so I'm no longer in this performance mentality of trying to perform these things.

Justin: 31:03

Yeah.

Rhett: 31:04

It's just a natural byproduct. And so out of just this grace relationship. And so that's always been a journey for me, I guess is what I'm trying to say.

Justin: 31:12

That going from performer to just being. Yes. And but we still jump back in. It's our triggers hit us and we jump back into performance. So you find that you're constantly there's that battle of being aware. And you just and the the hope is it's not like you just overcome it where it doesn't naturally come back.

Rhett: 31:32

Right.

Justin: 31:32

It's that we become better at recognizing when it kicks in. Yes. So when it kicks in automatically, you're hoping that taking every thought captive, the Akma Latiza, as Lance said in our earlier podcast, that even in this kind of form, these thoughts of performance, I do feel like it doesn't stop. It's just I'm able to capture it. I'm able to capture that thought and recognize, okay, yeah, everything right now feels like I'm going to jump into performance, but I'm not going to.

Speaker 5: 32:07

Yeah.

Justin: 32:07

I'm going to just be. Even though everything's telling me right now to kick back into performance.

Speaker 5: 32:13

Yeah.

Justin: 32:14

There's a maturity now to just be. Yeah. And not try to force things to happen.

Rhett: 32:23

Hey, friends, just want to take a moment and say if you are enjoying today's conversation, could you do us a huge favor? Would you take a moment and copy the link from your favorite podcast platform and share it with a friend? Email it to a friend. How about airdropping it over to your buddy or your sister right now? Man, that would mean so much to us. Thank you. All right, guys, back to the conversation.

Justin: 32:46

And so with that, I'm very much aware. I always look at the enormity of things. Like the, I want to go. We were talking about go do the Broadway.

Speaker 5: 32:55

Yeah.

Justin: 32:56

Like if I'm gonna do, if I'm going to do like like theater, I don't think small town theater. I think I'm going to Broadway, baby.

Rhett: 33:04

I'm skipping all of this. This is uh like I'm going right to the top, baby.

Justin: 33:08

If I'm making music, I'm going for the Grammy. You know, it's it's just yeah, how my mind is wired, and maybe that is I think it's God given.

Rhett: 33:17

I think part of that is a God-given natural, like, and it's okay to have those I don't think there's anything wrong with it. Yeah, there's nothing aspiration, it can get toxic quick. Yeah, that's right.

Justin: 33:28

Because then you're chasing an idea of something. That's why so many people finally attain that thing and they realize there was there was nothing at that finish line. Oh my gosh, it was the beauty of process.

Rhett: 33:41

Which we were talking about before we were talking about that. A lot of people get the title, they get the corner office, they get the paycheck, they get the car, they get the house, whatever, and they're like, Well, what now? Like, because that what there's nothing fulfilling in it. Yeah, it's just like, okay.

Justin: 33:57

Yeah, it was the thought of it was the thought of the great thing that was out there.

Rhett: 34:02

Because that's what the world sells you.

Justin: 34:03

It's the world.

Rhett: 34:04

It sells you the allure or the image of, ah, this is what you need.

Justin: 34:08

Yeah.

Rhett: 34:08

You know, and what I think what we were talking about earlier before we hit record is this book that I'm reading that my son actually read as he's preparing to want to take on motorsports called Inner Excellence by Jim Murphy.

Justin: 34:20

Yeah.

Rhett: 34:20

And he's really talking about the good to the great athlete, you know. This guy's trained Olympians and stuff, and you know, he's just talking about the mindset, and you're talking about taking the thoughts captive and putting them in the right order according to God's word. And now, Jim hasn't talked about that yet in his book, but there are a lot of biblical principles in this. And and the thought of going, hey, the journey, like the joys in the journey, the joys in the process. And for those who who are who are wise and who are great and who become incredible athletes, or those who have realized that the joy and the fulfillment doesn't come in winning or having another trophy on a shelf, it's really the joy of what am I learning in the process of growing?

Justin: 35:03

Yeah.

Rhett: 35:03

What am I learning in the journey of the in-between, in the middle? Because they prepare all their life for like on the Olympics for like a minute, maybe. Right. And so like that go, that comes and goes really quick. But the joy, like, of course, like the results, they want those results, but at the end of the day, their mind, the great ones, are really set on realizing it's not about the corner office.

Justin: 35:26

Yeah.

Rhett: 35:27

It's not about the you know, extra zero on a paycheck. It's not about that house. It's not about like, it's about what's in front of me right now. What can I learn? How can I grow? How can I enjoy this process of of what whatever it might be, perseverance, yeah, and the character that's developed in me in that in the in the whole journey.

Justin: 35:48

Yeah.

Rhett: 35:48

That's hard because we're more destination people. That's right. But the destination is the journey. Yeah. It really is. That's where the fulfillment really comes in.

Justin: 35:57

You can discover that before you know God's grace is there. So even if you hit rock bottom when you realize the top is actually the bottom, yeah, his grace is still sufficient. But if you can discover that in it, you begin to recognize that we don't live for the mountaintop experiences. Those are you can enjoy, you can enjoy them when they come. But what I've also learned is you can't make those happen.

Rhett: 36:20

No.

Justin: 36:21

But performance-minded people, we want to make those happen. So we want to recreate events, we want to recreate this, thinking it will now give the feel. And I do think that it's I can speak from our country, our society, our westernized Christianity. Yeah. We do live to feel we we don't want to suffer.

Speaker 5: 36:41

Yeah.

Justin: 36:41

We do tend to just skip past all the scriptures that Jesus was a man of sorrow. Yeah. That suffering produces some of the greatest growth in our Christian journey. But yet when we're in suffering, we are so ready for it to be finished. But the sooner we can understand that this the ordinary, it's the average, it's some of the suffering moments, even those valleys that we're in, some of the greatest work is happening. And it's usually what precedes some form of a mountaintop experience. And even just, you know, just I can tell tons of old stories, but even in just recent days, I always love like fresh stories. I love telling old, but I always get a bit skeptical when I only hear, and maybe that's because I I would be the same way. When I only hear old stories from people, yeah, and and don't stop telling old stories, but when I haven't heard anything fresh, yeah. And the reason I get skeptical is it's not I'm not skeptical of you. I'm skeptical of me. So it makes me go ahead and I project myself onto you thinking, are you doing the same thing I'm doing? Because if I don't have new stories, it means that I'm not stepping out and taking on new experiences or stepping into the suffering and understanding the lessons that God teaches us, even by allowing us to go through this stuff. And so I think about we talked about last week with Idaho when we went or two weeks ago, the men's retreat, the men's advance. Yeah. And I'm already forgetting our last episode. So I know we talked about it. Yeah. But did I talk about just the deep anguish that I felt before? Did I I can't remember if I mentioned it?

Rhett: 38:26

I haven't listened to it. Um, I mean, I lived it with it.

Justin: 38:29

But I can't I can't remember if I talked about it. Even if you did, talk about it again. We've got new friends listening. And and I'll say it quick, you know, I only know we have a few minutes left, but but that um, and I think the reason I can't remember if I told it is I've already told this fresh story. I've had probably three different environments, whether it's just one-on-one or to a group of ministry leaders, and I've gotten to share that fresh bread. Yeah. That's good. And it's it's amazing. Okay. And because all I know is when Wednesday night, I'm at first Wednesday, but I'm also mentally I've been prepping messages, um, you know, just all all these things uh for the for the upcoming, because I was gonna be speaking, there was technically four sessions and two Sunday morning services. So speaking six times over the course of a few days, but in my mind, I'm having to prep what would be five different uh thoughts for those sessions. So I was doing a lot of study, getting ready, and excited. I'm packing my bags after a wonderful first Wednesday night, and and man, this darkness, this just I shared it. You see, you know this story because I did share this to the men. But this darkness, this sorrow, this sadness came over me so deep. And that's not a regular occurrence at all. And I am processing, wondering, like, what is like Justin, what is wrong? And I've I tried to sit in it, let it end, and it just got deeper and deeper to the point I would I mean, if there was an out, I I did not just read. I'm I don't know if I even said it this way. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But in that moment, I did not want to go meet y'all at Idaho. Yeah. It was just a point that I thought Was it a heaviness? Oh, it was it was really, really it was, yeah, very heavy. And I even began, I'll go over some questions that I even had, but all I know in that moment is, man, if I start feeling worse, I can justify just giving a text and say, bro, I hate this. But I yeah, I like I'm I'm not feeling well at all.

Rhett: 40:43

At that point, you have to realize, and I know you do, that this is purely spiritual warfare to keep you away from totally what God wants to do.

Justin: 40:50

It is, and and different thoughts hit my head. The first thing I thought was it's October.

Speaker 5: 40:55

Yep.

Justin: 40:57

So this is a very heightened season. Every season's heightened, but this is a very heightened season, so I had to be aware of that, knowing there's some forces coming against me, or coming against a lot of us. The second thought is I'm about to go to a men's advance and speak to about 50, 60 men, and I do know that that's gonna be met with a lot of opposition. So that could be what I'm facing right now. I also thought, these are just honest thoughts I'll ask myself when I'm in moments like these. What we started our conversation with, like the performance side. I thought this could be some severe anxiety because I want to be liked.

Speaker 5: 41:35

Yeah.

Justin: 41:35

And I know these men that I'm about to be standing in front of. They're the men of men in our country. Tough, big, strong, burly. They might not relate to the Starbuck, Grande, latte, caramel, venti, macchiato dude that I can be. So these are just real thoughts. Yeah, it is. Yeah, I get it. Trust me. Were they will they like me? Yeah. Then there's the thought, I'm about to be away from my family for about five days. I'm sure gonna miss them.

Speaker 5: 42:06

Yeah.

Justin: 42:07

These are just the thoughts, and I just didn't know where to go in that moment. And I just remember going to summer and I said, Hey, I need you to pray for me. The only reason I share that story, and she prayed for me, and I, you know, I enjoyed like her warmth, you know, just her hand on my back, just kind of, you know, scratching my back a little. Then it's like I'm going to bed. And those, and and she didn't have the force to make sure I'm okay. She was present, she listened. There's so much we can learn from this, but she was present with me, she listened to me, she prayed for me, but ultimately she had to give me back to God. Because it's God who deals with every man. Yeah. We don't go into fix. She didn't try to fix. I went to sleep. Yeah. I woke up the next day, feeling a little better, but still I felt the weight of it. Yeah. But I stepped into it. Early morning flights, dark, you know the deal. Yeah. I do. I get there, I land, I'm with you, Ret. And of course, I'm always happy to see you, but I'm also in that mode of just kind of I'm kind of coming out of the long flights. That's a long trip. It's already three flights. Yeah, trust me. So you I live it every month. You do. It's a long time. So it's compounding that with some of that inner turmoil that came out of nowhere. Yeah. Okay, so the reason I set that up is when you're thinking about your story for our listeners, for our family who will continue to listen to this, you know, our grandkids maybe one day. It's the deepest suffering moments. Had I have bowed out of that and not embraced it, what would come after that was personally for me, and I knew it was gonna be great, but personally for me, one of the greatest ministry experiences that I've ever had. Because I was able to fully operate in what is a God gifts, He's gift that He's given me, yeah, which was like this, just to kind of have conversation and to talk out things, name things that might be on these men's life. Yeah. But I began to just talk. And then in the middle of the message, I'm reading Psalm 23, one through four. Yeah. And one through three is really what I meant to read, where it's like he's with me, all this stuff. He guides, he leads, he directs. And then for that fourth verse, I just read it because it was on the screen. It wasn't even part of my message. Yeah, but I went ahead and at least fulfilled the scripture. I read it. But as I read it in live, it says, Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil because you are with me. I read it just to kind of finish and go back to verses one through three. And as I read verse four, it penetrated my heart because it says, Though I walked through the valley of the shadow of death, I related with that verse so strong because just not even 24 hours ago, yeah, I was in despair. And I even stopped when I'm talking to the guys, and you remember that. I said, Guys, yeah, I gotta be honest with you on something. Like this isn't what I was saying, but this verse. Yeah. And of course, I explained why it resonated. And ironically, the other stuff was good, but that's when the when whatever it was broke in the room and hearts began to open because it became relatable. So that's another story. We won't have to talk about that. We already covered some of that last week. But coming out of that trip, so now we've ministered. Uh, I think it was a total of, I mean, which is amazing, 18 to 19 people from that weekend, the retreat and the church service gave their heart to Jesus. Yep. Amazing. The men who came up and just gave hugs, and it completely uh did away with any thought of the coffee metro. Yeah, I mean, it it was awesome because we got to go be men, men there, but we got to be ourself embraced in every way. Yeah. And loved on, and actually, it was just it was wonderful. Okay, setting all that up because that happened in the Valley of the Shadow of Death and the suffering that we can go through. Yeah. When I got home from that, yes, I'm tired. It was a lot of stuff, but I began to have the fondest memories of that thinking that was a mountaintop, no pun intended. Yeah. But that was a mountaintop experience. One of the greatest experiences. If I could go do that again right now, I would.

unknown: 46:24

Yeah.

Justin: 46:25

Because it was that amazing to get to do it. The point is we don't recognize it when we're in it. It's dark, but we have to welcome and invite the Holy Spirit to sit with us in the moment, to not back down, to press through, and just know that even in the midst of what could be sorrow, anxiety, depression, sadness, yeah, that there is something on the other side that is a mountaintop that is just waiting for us to step into. And it comes in those moments when we least expect it.

Rhett: 46:58

Hey guys, Red here. Just want to take a moment and say thank you to every single one of you who have taken the time to follow us on social media. Now, if today is your first time to join us for an episode, man, we want to say welcome, friends. It's so good to have you with us. Could you take a moment? Look us up on Instagram or Facebook. You can find us there at ArmchairAuthentic, or you can go on over to X, find us there as well at ArmchairAuthpod. That's ArmchairAuth, A-U-T-H-P-O-D. All right, now back to the conversation.

Justin: 47:31

That's why the whole journey is so important because the mountaintops exist within the journey. And if you're constantly looking, I'm gonna do this so that I can be found worthy to go speak to 5,000 people.

Speaker 5: 47:44

Yeah.

Justin: 47:44

That's never that 5,000 groups never gonna provide what you're in right now is going to provide because that's not the goal.

Speaker 5: 47:52

Yeah.

Justin: 47:53

You just attained what the ultimate goal was in that moment. And because you're faithful to walk through it and sit in it and be faithful in it and to press on towards the prize that God has called you to, yeah, you will experience the amazing moments that exist in those very ordinary moments.

Rhett: 48:16

If you're not enough without it, you'll never be enough with it. Amen. Well said. I think that was one thing, first of all. Well said. Thank you. I don't think there's any more I can add to that. Appreciate your vulnerability and your authenticity in that. And I know the Lord is speaking to many of our friends who are listening in their own journey and processing. But the reason I I I said what I just said was because I mean, if you can't learn to be enough with and only one that's gonna fulfill that is God in the moment, right? It means if you can't enjoy where you are in the process, even if it's painful, and and see God in the moment to know that He's with you and He's carrying you and He's there. Like if you can't see it there, you'll never see it on the other side. Yeah. Yeah. You know? Um and uh and so like with my son right now in this journey of him wanting to become a professional race car driver and stuff. I'm like, dude, like if if you're not enough now, you'll never be enough with that. You know, in other words, that's not gonna fulfill you. That mountaintop experience is not gonna fulfill you. So learn how to be fulfilled in the moment that's in front of you. Yeah, and learn that the greatest success is your love for God, your love for your family, and you know, the friends that you get to do life with, and enjoy where you are in the process and realizing that this moment, like you talked about, yeah, is is an incredible moment. And if you learn how to grow in this moment and see the good things that are in it, even in the pain, then like wow, when you get there, you won't be looking at it from, well, I finally arrived. No, you're just like, oh, there's there's I've seen the joy in every part of the process.

Justin: 50:07

Yeah.

Rhett: 50:07

And now I'm here. And I mean, yeah, it's fun, but like, man, that's not who I am. I know who I am.

Justin: 50:13

Yeah.

Rhett: 50:15

This mountaintop doesn't define me. Yeah. This trophy doesn't define me.

Justin: 50:20

Yeah.

Rhett: 50:21

This paycheck doesn't define me. Now it's nice, but I've learned it's like, I love that scripture, Philippians 4 13, I can do all things through Christ. I think that's what Paul was saying is like, you know, I I've learned how to live with little and I've learned how to live with much. Oh, yeah. And no matter what situation I'm in, I can do all things. Yeah. It doesn't mean I can go out and like become a professional athlete or do all the, you know, I mean, you know, talent-wise, but what it truly means is I've learned how to be content in every situation.

Justin: 50:48

Yeah.

Rhett: 50:49

Because I know who he is, God, and I know who I am and my identity in him, no matter what situation, I'm content. I'm happy. I'm I'm I'm I'm well provided for in the lack and in the provision. Amen. And I think that's that's what I look at. Yeah. It's like, wow, if I can learn how to be content in these moments here and learn the bone, I think that's the story of my life. You know, and I I know in the last conversation we had, we talked about, hey, I need to share that story of that point of pain in my life, you know, and and and we're gonna do that. I promise I'm I'm not trying to tease this out and leave people hanging for another conversation, another episode, but we're definitely gonna share that. Next episode, it's happening in the divorce that I went through in my early 20s and how God just worked, you know, miracle in his faithfulness. But like, I mean, I've learned so much through that pain, yeah, you know, and and and how much who more about who God is in those moments in the darkest valley than on the mountaintop.

Justin: 51:44

Every think of yeah, every dark valley that we go through. And that yeah, that adds a perfect um cap to that because this what what I began to talk with Summer about this week, we were just kind of talking through, just yeah, I was I was talking about the trip that I just explained. But I you take it back. Anything that I've looked back, and I was journaling about this yesterday, that has been worth that I felt felt like this is meaningful work, it has come after one of those tragic, sorrowful, yeah, sad seasons when it felt like are the best days behind every time. And there's something to be said for that. God is in that because he is a God of resurrection. Oh, absolutely. And that just it just promotes the finest work. He resurrects things in our life.

Rhett: 52:44

You can either blame God or you can either trust God. And and what you are saying is how through the some of the most toughest moments you've done the most work. It's because you made the choice to do the work in it, yeah, and to mind the gold that is still to be found under your feet, no matter where your feet are, yeah. In circumstantially speaking.

Justin: 53:07

And you're fully dependent on God and that's right.

Rhett: 53:09

Because there are a lot of people that when the storms of life come, their foundation was built on sand. Yeah. And you've chosen over time to continually cultivate the ground underneath you to be a firm foundation for which you build your life, your family, your faith. Chief cornerstone, Jesus. And so every storm that's come, um I've seen it in your life, um, you have made the choice to trust God. Yeah, to still process everything and not pretend like you're not going through hell and pain, you know. And those are your stories to share. Yeah. But you you guys have trusted God despite what the circumstance in this broken humanity is.

Justin: 53:53

Yeah. Insane to you. That's what I've seen with you guys fully foundation on Jesus.

Rhett: 54:00

And so some people are listening and go, Well, I mean, like, how do you do that? Like, I'm in so much pain, there's no way. But it's like we we all have the ability to make choices and how we respond to situations. And I think looking back at our lives, and we've still got a lot to live. Praise Jesus.

Justin: 54:19

Come on now. Just getting started.

Rhett: 54:21

I'm excited about Jesus coming back real soon, but I'm also like he's designed us to live. And I want to live the fullest life I can. And I'd love to see my son end up getting married, having kids, and seeing his, you know, and all that. Like that, of course, God's designed us that way. But like, I'm I'm I'm saying, like, I don't think the best days are behind us, or you know, like it's just the process. My best day is now, yeah. It's not tomorrow.

Speaker 5: 54:43

Yeah, it's not behind me. It's like, it's this conversation right now. We're in it.

Rhett: 54:47

We're in it, right? Right. We've learned that. And that's I think that's the joy of this conversation. It's like, man, it's just like learning how to live in the moment, whether good or bad, circumstances don't determine my peace. Yeah. My peace is inward, not outward.

Justin: 54:59

Yeah.

Rhett: 55:00

And so that's what I'm hearing in your story. And I just want to highlight that to say, yes, I agree with everything you're saying. But if you're on the other end, you've got to realize, but Justin has made decisions to choose to mine the gold even in the darkness. Yeah. When it looks like you can't see. Yeah. You're realizing through the truth of God's word that He's revealed to you, yes, I'm going through this. There's something to learn, there's something to grow through. Because I know I'm going to come on the other side of it. Why? So that I can help other people when they go through it too. Yeah, that's really good. And that has been the story of our lives. It has. And that's the story that I am going to share, you know, hopefully in the next episode for personally what I've gone through, in order to time capsule what you are saying. Yeah. Because when we started this whole thing, it it really was just to try to have conversations in a way that serve our family. That's right. And serve our friends and help people in the future and encourage. But if anything, really to come back to a point that are what I would have given to be able to listen back to stories that my dad or my granddad or my great-granddad of So Rich that would have been concerned. I would have loved to have done that. And now we live in a day and age where we can kind of you know capture this.

Justin: 56:15

Very much so.

Rhett: 56:16

In a way we can go back and listen to, or our grandkids can go back and listen to, Lord willing.

Justin: 56:20

And by the time you're listening to this kids and grandkids, absolutely. This is not AI because no AI will basically sound just like us and look like us. Well, they don't know our AI free. AI free. Yeah.

Rhett: 56:33

Oh my gosh, yeah. So so I wanted to say that about blaming God or even trusting God to get you to the point that you are. But yeah.

Justin: 56:40

Well, yeah, because I think that we, you know, as we're beginning to walk through this, you know, this is episode you're listening to now is episode 90.

Speaker 5: 56:49

Yeah.

Justin: 56:50

And so we're going to put a whole new focus on what we're calling really the final 10 of this era.

Rhett: 57:01

I'm sorry. Say that again, because I think some people might have missed what you were saying. There was no drum roll, there was no huge setup to there wasn't. Yeah.

Justin: 57:11

Is that not just me? I just kind of say it how it is. Yeah. No build-up. So, yeah. So we're at episode 90 right now. And we're going to put a full focus over the next 10 episodes, which will then be episode 100, which we will call the end of an era.

Rhett: 57:28

The end of an era. Do you want to season one?

Justin: 57:32

You are the best who you're the best when it comes to uh giving context to things. I'll say it and then Rhett will jump in and give a context. Like what Justin means is But this, yes.

Rhett: 57:42

Yeah, so I think when we started this, we we didn't know where it was going to go, what we were gonna do with it, how long it was gonna last. We just knew that we were called to steward the moment in the conversation. We had no agenda other than creating an opportunity for us to capture conversations, yeah. You know, doing real life with real people, I think is how we started saying it. Yeah, real conversations about real life with real people, right? You know, aren't you? And and and and so so that's what it's always been. And so you and I actually met a few weeks ago and we were just kind of praying through what does 2026 look like? What are we, you know, what are we, where are we in this season and how can we steward this?

Justin: 58:22

Yeah.

Rhett: 58:22

And do we continue? I think I think there's wisdom and always reflecting and asking yourself the question just because we're doing it, doesn't mean we need to continue to do it.

Justin: 58:30

Yeah.

Rhett: 58:31

Um, and so I think we're just praying through that. And you met with me the other day and we were talking about what 2026 looks like. You got a lot of things going on in your life. There's things happening, you know, in our my life too, and you know, where does it all fit? Because we can't say yes to everything.

Justin: 58:44

Yeah.

Rhett: 58:44

And um, I think we've been blown away with the you know guests that we've been able to have and the conversations we've been able to have and the friends who and the we've hit every continent on the planet, crazy, which is nuts. It is crazy. And so for those who are joining us from other countries, you know, one-offs are just continuing to listen means so much to us. Um go ahead and translate welcome to all those continents and languages. So, all that to say, we felt like we're we're landing the plane.

unknown: 59:17

Yeah.

Rhett: 59:17

And that doesn't, you know, and I told Justin earlier, I don't feel like it's a period. I feel like it's more of an ellipsis, if I'm saying that right. Yeah. That means to be continued, maybe.

Justin: 59:29

It's like did it's like did Seinfeld at the end of Seinfeld, did they ever get out of jail? Did he ended? It ended with them in jail. I did not know that. This is a terrible ending. I mean, how else do you end it? How else friends? Yeah. What are friends up to now? Well, we don't know. They haven't made another one, will they? Well, uh not all of them can be there now. Yeah, some of them have sad. Uh White Collar, great show. Me and Summer are pumped. They might have another one come out years later. Yeah. There it's a rumor mill. Yeah. I would love to see it, yeah, but yet at the same time. It was really darn special.

Rhett: 1:00:01

So all that to say, we have 10, we we know that we have 10 more conversations that we turn into episodes up to episode 100, and then from there, you know, we'll see what happens. We'll call it the closing of us, you know, some people say seasons. Yeah. And yeah. So we've agreed that we feel like for what we've been called to steward um in this time in this season, that we're good with closing the chapter of this book at episode 100. Yeah.

Justin: 1:00:33

Yeah, which which the I would say the good part of Performer in us is it's really cool. Yeah. The thought that we can get a hundred episodes in. Yeah. I mean, now we know we could get a thousand in because we don't stop talking. We could talk. Oh, bro. Because this continues with us. The good news is for our mental 101 episode is me and Rhett still meeting weekly and grabbing our coffee. So what you won't see, or what's going on? You're just gonna see our life continue.

Rhett: 1:01:02

Yeah, you won't see that. We're we're gonna be selfish and we're gonna continue it. We're just not gonna share it with everybody. So I'm loving to carry that.

Justin: 1:01:09

But but the performer side, it is cool. That would be a little bucket list item I would have had. Yeah. Just if I don't get it, no big deal, but it would be neat to hit 100 episodes. Yeah. I didn't know we'd be able to do that when we started this, and we'll have more of this on episode 100 where we can talk stories. But I do know when we started this, we thought once a month, then we thought maybe twice a month. If we would have gone once a month, we're already at 10 years. It'd be a five-hour episode. We're already at we're thinking about it. We're already at eight to ten years. I know. That's crazy. Then we decided to go to two episodes. If we would have done that, we're already at like my gosh, four or five years. And then you're like, eh, and now we're just shit every week. Every week. And now we're hitting a hundred and two years. So it's just it's really cool to see that three-digit hit up there. But yeah, but the big rock for us has always been no matter what, yeah. We always we've always kept this hobby, hobby with purpose, meaning we're gonna keep doing this because we're we're still best friends, and we're gonna we we still have our time together. But our goal, the purpose with this is if we have a podcast, how cool would it be that our sons, our grandkids, our friends, yeah, people who still find this can at least listen and see what it's like to see two friends have honest conversation who are different yet very much similar. Yeah. And they've negotiated on the sense of how they can talk back and forth and bring balance, but then allowing uh people to hear, and and primarily for us as those closest to us, to hear some of our stories of the sorrows, the pain, and the victories. And that's what we want to put a focus on, especially maybe not 100. We'll try to celebrate on that last one.

Rhett: 1:02:59

Count down to 100, count down to 100.

Justin: 1:03:01

We've got some good stories, big rocks that we're big rocks.

Rhett: 1:03:04

We want to make sure we have that we want to make sure we talk about that were um pivotal catalyst moments, and maybe even discussed a little bit in some episodes that we really want to unfold it that you a little bit more.

Justin: 1:03:16

Discussed or discuss? They were discussed.

Rhett: 1:03:19

Oh, okay, okay. Like they were already talked about. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And for sure. Little little little pockets here.

Justin: 1:03:26

Yeah, good story, but we want to unveil maybe a little bit more of the complete.

Rhett: 1:03:30

Yeah. So if the yeah, so when I when I filter through the next 10 conversations, I filter through, okay, what are the things that I would have loved to have asked my granddad? What are the things that I would have loved to have known? Yeah. Um, even stories that might be, you know, painful or shameful, um, not very proud of, but yet, you know, things that they've worked through, they've processed, and they've gotten on they're on the other side of it. You know, and and so there there are there are things in my life and my story that I'm not proud of, but I want to share to show God's faithfulness through it. Yeah. How he can, you know, um take what the enemy meant for evil and God turn it around for good. And there's a lot of that, and obviously we've sprinkled a lot of that through our conversations. So when we when I filter through at least the last 10 from what I've shared with you, is that I want to make sure that some of those are there, along with all the fun and just randomness that we talk about for sure. But in in in that season of divorce that I went through in the early 20s is a huge one, and that's where we're gonna get to next episode for next. Yeah, yeah, yeah. A lot of time dedicated to that one. Yep, that's a good story.

Justin: 1:04:34

And and the the truth of the matter, like every episode, today we were thinking about jumping on getting that conversation underway, and we just started talking. I know. And hello, my baby, hello, my honey. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The whole theater came out of us. It's something went another direction. Some people were like, Dear Lord, could you just get to it, man? Like, and the answer is no. No, but next week, we will keep ourselves accountable, and that's why we have officially announced this to you. Yeah, because we've known this for a while. Yeah. But when to go ahead and announce it, and it keeps us accountable. Yeah, we'll have our fun story, but we will lock in. We will talk about that story next week. Okay. For sure. Lord willing. Lord willing. Yeah, yeah.

Rhett: 1:05:15

It's it's coming. In the next 10, it's coming. All right. God bless everybody. Thanks for hanging out with us. We love you. And uh countdown to 100 begins right now. Hey friends, thank you so much for joining us on today's conversation. We cannot wait until our next episode that drops next Monday. So, until then, we hope you have a great day. Stay safe, and we will see you soon right here with your friends, Led and Justin, and Armchair Authentic.