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 chair at the table. Friends, welcome to Armchair Authentic.

Justin: 0:18

Can't believe it. Episode 98. Wow, three away. Merry Christmas, Red. Merry Christmas, buddy. This is the week of December 15th.

Rhett: 0:28

To the world, the Lord has come.

Justin: 0:31

Have y'all been to any Christmas lightings or anything? Anything like that being planned? Or have you? Oh, we're not. We we will.

Rhett: 0:40

You know, we we have already. You got your hot chocolate stuff and you're driving through and watching lights. I got enough lights in my neighborhood every time I pull in and pull out. It's pretty.

Justin: 0:52

Yeah, a lot of people, um, I think they do that now and they do it a good job. Like you used to really have to go seek them out. Yeah.

Rhett: 0:58

But there's a lot of people who now it's like, oh, they deck the hulls. They deck the huts with bows of holly.

Justin: 1:05

Um I was waiting for the Denny's.

Rhett: 1:14

It's an American institution. Name that movie.

Justin: 1:18

Santa Claus.

Rhett: 1:19

Yes. Okay. Part one. Oh did you ever notice? Did you ever notice all the little elves that were like kind of like dropped into like while the kids are all these different scenarios?

Justin: 1:29

Okay, explain this to me. The movie the The Santa Claus is what we're referencing with Tim Allen. Yeah. Part one's the best. It's awesome. Yeah. Three's really good when he says, Would you like to be my no? I don't want to go there. Martin. I don't like it. Sing that light again. Horrible. Jack Fry Nippy and Janose. I just don't like that guy.

Jon Ross: 1:50

So weird.

Justin: 1:51

So wow. But yeah, so the kids. First of all, what were these kids doing up that late at night that they would go fill the streets? Oh, when all the police companies come have pulled up. I mean, for Santa to get around the world, like by that time. Yeah. I mean, it at least had to be like 1 a.m.

Rhett: 2:10

You're referring to the scene in the Santa Claus movie, if you haven't seen it, Mike, you know, there's spoiler alert. Yeah, a little late, 99. Yeah. So Tim Allen plays Santa Claus in maybe 95. He came back to see his son, takes his son with him on this adventure. His wife's, you know, like thinks he abducted him. She's married to a therapist who is influencing her. Nice sweater. Did we make that? Yeah. He's anyways. Yeah, so you're setting up the scene. It's like 10 o'clock, 11 o'clock at night on Christmas Eve. Maybe the police are gathered around this house with all the barricades. It's completely like totally 80s scene. Yeah, absolutely. The police got the little uh, you know, got out of the house, you know, whatever uh thing. Yeah, and all these kids and their families and their like coats are just walking out like watching. Yeah. Like, what? No, no neighbor's gonna do that at 11 o'clock at night on Christmas Eve with their kids. Let me pull my kids around a scene with the military and all these machine guns. Like, yeah, yeah, come on, man.

Justin: 3:11

But I did notice to answer your question, the elves kind of peppered in through that with their pointed ears for a pepper. Yeah, pepper. Oh, pointed ears. Here's my thing. Peppered's a fun word. The police work. I love our police. I think they do a fine job. You gotta be well equipped to do this stuff. But I gotta talk about the movie. I know the writers don't always make them look like the smartest people. Okay, so when they capture Santa, Tim Allen, when they capture Santa, yeah. Once again, sorry, we're running this movie if you've never seen it.

Rhett: 3:41

It's on you. It's on you now. Yeah.

Justin: 3:43

Okay, so they get Tim Allen. Yeah. Because he's quote kidnapped his son. Why didn't they ask him where is your son? Because he was on the roof with the reindeer. Yeah. They could have wrapped this thing up.

Rhett: 3:57

Yeah.

Justin: 3:57

Now he's in jail, yeah, sitting there. Why didn't Tim say, Yeah, hey, did you get my boy off the roof? Like he's probably freezing right now.

Rhett: 4:08

Yeah, it's true. You know, instead the elves a lot of dumb things that were in that movie, if you start thinking about it. The elves floated down and got the sun, but it's like how many roofs does Santa on and he just happens to slip and fall? Really? Come on, man. I mean, we're saying that, dude. You're you're really gonna fall and slip off the roof.

Justin: 4:29

And are you really gonna put on the dead guy, even if he disappeared, are you gonna put those pants on? Just for your son.

Rhett: 4:35

Put them on, dad. No, it ain't happening. Yeah, I would be like it is funny. It makes for comedy. And you know, when you start trying to really bring it into reality, it none of it makes sense. Yeah. Ros such a clatter, Daddy. Well, that's the what's a clatter? It's the company. Yeah. The Rosechuk, white Rosechuk ladder.

Justin: 4:52

The Rosechuk ladder company.

Rhett: 4:55

So, no, I've got enough lights on my street that I'm good. Like, oh, what I was gonna say about the lights is if I walk through Walmart and I, you know, or even Home Depot or Lowe's, like the first thing that's hitting you in the face right now is not good enough that things are used to be three foot tall, Santa Claus and stuff. Now they've got like a 20-foot tall, abominable snowman from the claymation of reindeer.

Jon Ross: 5:20

They do.

Rhett: 5:21

And and I don't know if you've seen this, but like the star, he it is like this was the most traumatizing movie for my son. Yes. I don't know why in the 80s. I loved it, and it didn't scare me at all because I loved it. Oh, the claymation's on. I'm glued to the TV, you know, while everybody's doing their thing as a kid. And then I was like, oh, my son's gonna love this. One of my favorite was not so much anymore. It's really annoying, and the audio levels are horrible. I'm constantly up, up, up on the moat, and then down, down, down. Yeah. That annoying sound of reindeer Rudolph's nose. That's like the worst feedback. It's like annoying. Yeah. Anyway, and then you get to this scene where that abominable snowman monster looking thing, when Sun sees it, he's freaking out as a kid. Now I'm talking like three, four, five years old. Yeah. And I told my wife the other day, you're not gonna believe what they have in Home Depot or Lowe's or whatever it was. It was Lowe's. And I told him this 20 foot. I'm like, it's huge. Like, how do you put this thing together? I've seen it. Yeah, I'm like big. Yeah, and and you you hit a butt, it's it you hit a button, and it's like, oh, its mouth opens and it lets relives that scene, you know? And and I said, Man, if if this was around when my son was three or four and we walked into Lowe's, he would have just lost it. Because this thing is huge. I'm six one and I'm looking up, like having to like crench my neck all the way up to see this thing. Yeah. And three or four years, like that's we now made Christmas Halloween. I guess it is like a Halloween decoration. But all this to say, I see all of that. There is literally a house in my yard or in my neighborhood when I turn in um at Halloween. I was like, well, there's Walmart, you know, because it's like none of it has any theming to it. It makes no sense. Whatever they had for sale, they bought. Yeah. And they did the same thing for Christmas. All the inflatable. But what's funny about the inflatables, they never stay, they look good in a picture where there's no wind. They don't look that way, do they? No, they're always on their face. Santa's on his face. I'm always like, every time I come in, I'm like, is Santa gonna be like on his face bowing before the Lord now? Oh wouldn't that be great? Yeah.

Justin: 7:22

I did see one where Yoda and and uh Darth Vader in the wind had blown Darth Vader down, and he's literally like at the feet of Yoda. Yeah. And I thought very appropriate.

Rhett: 7:31

So I I don't know. I'm kind of like, I'm not Ba humbug. I enjoyed it for what it is, but I yeah, maybe it sounds like I could care less.

Justin: 7:39

As kids, we wanted it like we wanted Christmas decoration so bad. And we I remember for our apartment we lived in, we would just take a strand of lights. Yeah. I still remember when you're like putting this all we the only shape we could make was like a big X. And it was colored lights. Green and red or whatever. It's the best we could do. Yeah, it was those giant bulbs. We didn't we just didn't think the possibility of dad, could we go to Walmart and buy some lights? In my mind, it's like you don't you don't ask to buy it. You could buy it.

Rhett: 8:12

Where do they sell those things? Yeah, I don't know.

Justin: 8:14

I just thought I just knew we had this strand that came from my papa's house and we hung them up and thought, well, look at our house. I know you had glasses. We got we got like those relaxes, not plastic. No, they were they were they were they were LED lights.

Rhett: 8:26

No, they were like burn your skin hot. They were so hot. You know what I'm saying? Oh yeah. Like it might as well you're that close to sticking your finger into a you know, yeah, to a socket.

Justin: 8:36

Well, that was that was the year that um we hit the really it might have been 89. We had a very, very cold Christmas, December is the year that the song Love Shack was out by the B-52s.

Rhett: 8:49

That was out during Christmas?

Justin: 8:50

It was around well, it probably came out in fall, but it was still playing.

Rhett: 8:53

Imagine that song is a Christmas song. Up the Christmas Jack. Hey, we're Baba and I know Baba and I'm gonna go. They should have done it and they would have made money. Dude, they would hey, here's your idea. Go make your, you know, bring the song back to life and make it a Christmas.

Justin: 9:10

Maybe, maybe the royalties have said them, but just in case you made some bad changes. Oh little Shaq, where the else get together, Red. You could. That's a great idea, Rett. But we had Freedom.

Rhett: 9:20

Sledding on the highway. Sledding on the highway. I mean, we can totally some of you are like, that's genius.

Justin: 9:27

Y'all ought to make that song. He was awesome to me. The guy, and I know I'm sidetracking from my story here. Brother couldn't sing. I don't care. I loved how he he spoke the stuff. I just thought he was so cool. It's kind of like Kirk Franklin before Kirk Franklin was, yeah.

Rhett: 9:40

Yeah. Because it's the Kirk Franklin. Brother can play a piano all day, but yeah, but you don't really want him singing.

Justin: 9:45

He hypes it up though when he sings and he gets I mean, when he talks and he gets the choir. It's all about the choir. Oh, yeah. But just the way the guy would just do that, just there's a what I can't even remember the lyrics now. Yeah, I don't know. I cry swear at cease about 20. Yeah, no, like if you could totally, we ought to do that. Bring your jukebox money. I just I would listen and be that would be the slogan. They're glowing everywhere. It's cold as a no.

Rhett: 10:21

Oh, so this is Christmas.

Justin: 10:28

Those are some good songs. Yeah, man. Anyway, yeah, so we're a little bit more than a little bit. Well, I was thinking about Christmas. It was freezing weather, probably in the teens. Freezing. And we would spray our little water guns on the door. By the way, never do this. And it would freeze instantly. Yeah. Never do this. And the water just remember the water gun you had was leaking. On the we didn't realize it. And we were squirting the door, and we thought we can do a lot more if we fill up some cups of water. Oh, yeah. We were going to get our neighbor. We're so dumb. And so Rhett, we had also got excited because Bo was downstairs and he was about to light one of those snakes, like the little fire where it's like it makes July 4th. It's like a little turd that grows.

Rhett: 11:19

Yeah, I was gonna say snake. They call it a snake, but let's just call it the turd that grows. Oh no, let's not. Let's call it the snake. I like the snake. You like the snake? I mean, it look it's basically ash. It's like ash that grows. There you go.

Justin: 11:36

Summer right now is like Justin does not like this conversation. Yeah. But she wanted to buy me a thing for my griddle. Sorry, guys. Like for making pancakes where you can just kind of squirt the stuff out. And she called it the pancake. She called it the pancake pooper. Okay. And I'm like, don't get me that if you're gonna call it the pancake pooper. And she was just all the kids were having a great time the other night. They were like, You need a pancake pooper. No, we need to rename it, and then I'll take the pancake. So you took the snake that grows. Yeah. Well, Bo was starting that as you came back outside with a big old thing of water in a glass. It was a glass cup.

Rhett: 12:09

I mean, if if a little water gun with a little squirt works good, how much better?

Justin: 12:14

You walk so ready with our X on the Christmas lights. We look festive. You walk out and you step on that concrete. Oh man, and you slip it.

Rhett: 12:25

Two feet in the air. The water flies out of my hand.

Justin: 12:28

The water falls out of your hand. It hits the ground and it rolls off the edge where Bo is lighting the little firecracker snake, and the glass slams down onto the ground and it shatters. Oh, yeah. It's now ice. Miss Honeycutt who is our neighbor below us. God bless her. She interprets the sound and the fire, because the fire got a little out of hand with the snake, because we ran, and she comes out as the water crashes down and into glass as fire and these two little snakes are growing outside her apartment. Yeah. And she calls the police.

Rhett: 13:10

Of course she does.

Justin: 13:11

Because in her, I mean, in her interpretation, this is like, is she being attacked?

Rhett: 13:16

Right.

Justin: 13:16

I mean, that had to be very frightening. Oh, yeah. We're running upstairs dying laughing. And probably 10 minutes later, we hear knock, knock, knock, knock, knock.

Rhett: 13:27

Yeah.

Justin: 13:27

We answer the door. And it's the police sergeant. I remember this. Ah, he did it. Where's your dad? Um, where's your dad? Yeah. And uh he's uh our uncle Steve's and he started getting some info, and we did the thing we always did as boys. Yeah. If we ever had an encounter with the police, what did we do? I forget. Remind me. We used my family's name, which which he was like he became later the sergeant of the Irondale police, which my cousin is named Norman Stapp. As he's writing something down to report it, I said, Do you know Norman Stapp?

Jon Ross: 14:07

Do you know Norman Stapp?

Justin: 14:09

Yep, he's a great guy.

Jon Ross: 14:11

Just kept writing.

Justin: 14:12

So that's I I mean, that was such a Christmas memory.

Rhett: 14:16

It's a Christmas miracle.

Justin: 14:18

It was and and Love Shack was like one of the top songs on the top or pop 40, top 40, whatever. So, you know, in I guess in honor of Christmas, you know, Christmas, we want to give gifts that keep on giving. Yeah. And I, you know, we've thought about this, we've had this conversation many times that it would be really sad. Like we we take care of our friends the best we can, right?

Rhett: 14:40

Yeah. We try. And and we let you know we love you when we give you a hard time, or when we don't invite you on the podcast.

Justin: 14:46

And so Mark, we've had we've had Mark Clement on twice. Yeah. Well, Mark decided to let that be known on air with us. Yeah. And even on his podcast, it was a game we weren't trying to create. No. No, no doubt. And he ended his interview with us. Yeah. That he was on our podcast, and he said, Hey, do you want to say one more thing to John Ross? Mark two, John Ross won. Meaning Mark has been on it twice, John Ross has been on it once.

Rhett: 15:14

Yeah, it was that was his mic drop moment. It was. It was pretty cool how that ended it. But what's funny is I didn't know there was this little thing between Mark and J-Ray doing, you know.

Justin: 15:22

Yeah, evidently there is. Yeah, yeah. And and so we had decided that in all fairness, no matter what John Ross is doing, because this is episode 98, in 99, we've got really secured because we want to have Pastor Scott on. Yeah. That's our goal. Hoping that happens. Hoping it does. All right. It might just be us on 99 if it doesn't work out. But this is really the last shot because episode 100 is all about celebrating what's happened over the past two years. Yep. So this is the last crack at it. So we're going to call John Ross.

Rhett: 15:52

This is the Christmas crack call to John Ross Aldridge. I'll go with that. You like that?

Justin: 15:59

To tie up the score because we are all equal. Okay. Let's let's do it. Now we gotta make sure he answers. Yeah. He might not.

Jon Ross: 16:17

Hello?

Justin: 16:18

John Ross. J-Ray, what's up, dude? Hey guys, what's going on? What's up, buddy?

Rhett: 16:24

Hey, just just to say it real quick, you are on Armchair Authentic. Yeah. Welcome to everything you say, all down to what you how you breathe on the phone is being recorded for the masses.

Justin: 16:35

What's up, buddy?

Jon Ross: 16:37

Okay.

Justin: 16:38

Hey, hey, man, we were just talking before we called you, we were updating the audience that you know it's the Christmas season. This is the week of December 15th. Kids are out of school now. Christmas holidays have really set in, or they're going to be getting out of school. And the gift that keeps on giving, we wanted to make sure as this podcast exists forever, that it's not Mark Clement 2 and John Ross one. We want to make sure that the score is tied so that you don't have to go on with that. Because evidently you and Mark have this thing going where there's a bit of a competition, and we just wanted to come to your aid and help help settle that.

Jon Ross: 17:20

Yeah.

Rhett: 17:21

Who? Who did he just say who? You gotta speak up, buddy. This phone call with Mark, yeah. Mark, Mark, who? No, I'm Mark. That's good. I like that.

Justin: 17:33

There you go. And and that we'll we'll just let you say that. Hey, by the way, what you doing, man?

Jon Ross: 17:40

Uh at the moment, I'm literally just Disney World.

Justin: 17:44

You're you're at Disney World? No, driving back. Uh wow. Okay. Now, who all like who all's with you on this Disney trip?

Jon Ross: 17:56

Uh can you hear me better now? Oh, that's perfect.

Justin: 17:59

Oh, thank you. The listeners want to say thank you, I'm sure.

Jon Ross: 18:03

Yes, I should have done that to begin with. Who's all with you? Uh it's literally just me and Mitchell.

Justin: 18:10

Just you. Okay, so it's just John Ross and his wife.

Rhett: 18:13

That's awesome.

Justin: 18:14

That's how did you work that out, man? That's awesome.

Jon Ross: 18:19

Uh well, I mean, we had not done a real I mean, like an anniversary treatment in several years because of the kids, and uh just we kind of got up maybe three months ago, and it was like, hey, we need to do this. We went down specifically to get to experience the kingdom's Christmas uh the Christmas Magic Kingdom.

Justin: 18:44

Okay.

Jon Ross: 18:45

And so we we did that actually last night. We did not get back to the room from the park until around 1 a.m. Oh my gosh. And then I think we got up at 6:30 road driving back.

Justin: 18:58

Goodness, and you're gonna make it. Hey, well, uh, tell Rachel that we said hey. I'm I'm assuming she's in the car.

Rhett: 19:07

I don't I don't know if we're on speakerphone in the car or not. Well, that's awesome, man.

Jon Ross: 19:11

She uh she said hi.

Justin: 19:13

Wow. Well, hey, officially, one thing that you uh can put over somebody else is that um you are the first person whose um wife has been with you on Armchair Authentic. Well, there you go.

Rhett: 19:25

Yeah.

Justin: 19:26

Oh, good. Okay, hey, all she has to do is say hey, and it's official, and she doesn't have to say anything else. Yeah.

Jon Ross: 19:32

Hey, Rachel. I want you to actually say hi so that I beat them in that particular situation. Are you gonna do it?

Rachel: 19:40

Hey guys. Hey Rachel, all right.

Justin: 19:43

We officially had one of our friends' wives on the the episode. I told John Ross we promised there won't be anything else. We just had to at least um I don't know if we can hold that problem.

Rhett: 19:55

We gotta have a conversation with Rachel. I think she's got a lot to say.

Justin: 19:58

Rachel, how was Disney World?

Rhett: 20:00

Yeah.

Rachel: 20:01

Hey, well, Disney World was amazing, as always. Uh, we miss our children.

Jon Ross: 20:07

That is a good image.

Rachel: 20:10

We were kind of pitiful on the trip talking about them so much. So um, just a sweet time together. Lots of like not like children again, you know, children at hearts.

Justin: 20:22

Oh yeah, it never it never leaves.

Rachel: 20:24

It doesn't, you're right.

Justin: 20:26

That's awesome. Where are the where are the kids staying? It's who's like it's John Ross's parents or friends?

Rachel: 20:32

Yes, John Ross's parents. And uh y'all know it takes a village.

Rhett: 20:37

Oh yeah.

Justin: 20:38

Yes.

Rhett: 20:38

Okay, what's your favorite ride? Magic Kingdom, hands down. Number one, you can only choose one.

Rachel: 20:44

Oh, okay. Um let's see. I'm gonna go with Space Mountain.

Jon Ross: 20:49

Oh, let's go.

Justin: 20:50

Oh, geez. Is that now what about all parks that you went to? What was your favorite ride? Yeah.

Rachel: 20:56

All parks, I would go with Rock and say that again. All parks rock and roller coaster. Oh, really?

Rhett: 21:06

Have you rid have you ridden Guardians? Did you ride that?

Rachel: 21:10

Have I ridden what now?

Rhett: 21:12

The Guardians of the Galaxy at Epcot. Have you ridden that ride?

Rachel: 21:15

No. So we we're planning to take the kids next year uh back and we're gonna we're gonna go to Epcot. And I really can't wait. I'm early, so I can't I can't wait to try that one.

Rhett: 21:28

Well, I think you're I and we won't have this podcast when you go and come back, but that's got to be a side conversation because I personally believe that Rock and Roller Coaster is going to get replaced with Guardians for you guys, personally. But that's just uh it's so it's so good. I've heard I've heard the same thing.

Justin: 21:46

Yeah, it's like it's like I can't wait. I've had people who they've ridden it and they they were telling me literally last week they were crying.

Rhett: 21:53

Oh, I was I was laughing and crying, crying and laughing. Yeah, it was amazing.

Justin: 21:56

Yeah, yeah, it's crying because they were happy or yeah, all the abundance, all the emotions, evidently they just capture, yeah, yeah. It's just the power of technology now.

Rhett: 22:07

And for you to experience that with your kiddos too. That you're gonna it's awesome. Yeah, I can only imagine if I'm there with Linda at Disney World and it's just her and I, we're like, oh, look at how much fun we're having. But like, wouldn't it be great if Max was here to experience this with us?

Rachel: 22:19

I feel kind of self- that's exactly what it is.

Justin: 22:24

That's that's awesome. Oh, yeah. Well, can congratulations to the Aldridges. They won the award of yes of having our first couple. We got a twofer on the podcast. This was like this wasn't just John Ross. This was John Ross and Rachel. Yes, the Rachel, yeah, the Rachel Aldridge.

Rachel: 22:41

Yeah, y'all are too kind.

Justin: 22:43

Hey, good talking to you, Fred.

Rachel: 22:46

Hey, y'all. All right, here's Ross.

Justin: 22:48

Thanks.

Rachel: 22:49

Yes, Ross.

Justin: 22:51

Yeah, she calls him Ross. And and and it's funny when Rachel said, yeah, I said Ross. Literally just mouthed it to me. He said, Ross. Ross? I'm calling you Ross. She calls him Ross. Yeah, it's Ross and Rachel.

Rhett: 23:03

It's Ross and Rachel. Literally. Ross and Rachel. We have Ross and Rachel on the Armchair Authentic podcast. Well, it's good talking with you, J.R. We'll talk to you later. God bless. Have a great day. Just kidding. It was a great conversation with your wife. Well, she is the better of the two of us. Hey, friends, if you're enjoying today's conversation, could you do us a huge favor? Would you share the link of this episode with a friend, with a coworker, with a buddy? I email it, airdrop it, text it, comment on Facebook, however, you would like to share it. Man, it would mean so much to us to help us get the word out to have more friends join us in on this journey. Thank you. All right. Now back to the conversation.

Justin: 23:43

You're about to hit the Christmas services pretty heavy. So being the week of December 15th, other than Christmas services at the church, what's some of the family plans as you're moving into the Christmas season?

Jon Ross: 23:57

So you know, we we're super traditions. I I maybe eight years ago, ten years ago, I kind of had a where I realized that I'd become a pretty big scrooge.

Rhett: 24:10

Kind of like oh we called you.

Jon Ross: 24:12

Yeah, that sounds like red before we made this call. Okay, so I'm not alone. No, so uh so we we so I I I had a moment and it was like, hey, I I can't, this is not good, and I'm I'm not gonna stay here. And really, honestly, it was uh it was I I got saved on December 27th uh in 2000, and so there was a moment of hey, there was so much joy around this season. Why am I letting it do me? So I did a complete pivot, and we started a lot of very serious family traditions that we now uh keep running, and so uh looking at Christmas lights, we have a list of Christmas movies that we go through. Um, we typically there's Christmas movies, so we always watch the Harry Potter movies leading up to Christmas. Um, but my favorite tradition is the very last service that we do at my campus.

Justin: 25:14

Yeah.

Jon Ross: 25:14

Um, my family and my parents um came in town, and my family and parents all sit through the last service together. And then we go home and eat dinner and watch Christmas movies. Like, we'll watch a Christmas movie. Honestly, it'll probably be home alone. Yes. And then uh uh, but before we do dinner, we go look at Christmas lights, and there's a couple places in Huntsville, Alabama. There's a house on Doug Hill Road that does huge, I mean, they they take up a cul-de-sac, borrow their friends' yard, decorate all of their Christmas stuff, and so we normally take my parents over there and look at that, and I think that's my favorite tradition.

Justin: 25:58

Dude, that's great. You just I mean, that was pretty awesome. You got some people listening thinking, okay, we've still got a couple of weeks, we're gonna knock this out.

Rhett: 26:07

I love what you said though. You reframed it and you chose a fresh perspective. And was that because uh Rachel was like, hey bro, you need to get it together. This is my favorite time of year, or was it just a self-awareness that you were recognizing that on your own? I'm curious.

Jon Ross: 26:25

It was um it was a I was driving down the road one day and turned on the radio and Christmas music came on, and I got super upset because I was like, man, I don't want like are you kidding me in Christian music already? I mean, it was like I don't even think it was Thanksgiving yet. Yeah, and it was a Holy Spirit dropping in me right in that moment, and it was hey, this is when this is when you got saved. Why are you letting this get robbed? Wow. And so I took a moment right there and prayed just that that that would be restored and um kind of tackled, you know, just uh and it there were still steps to it. I just it's not like I just walked out from the car that day wearing a Santa suit. Uh it uh it took a little bit of time, and I think the the the actions from that moment, one of them was finding Christmas music that I liked because Christmas music had kind of gotten ruined working retail when I was in high college. Oh I bet. And so um I ended up finding some Christmas music that I just adore that stays basically on repeat at our house. Wow starting maybe even October 1st, some years. Wow.

Rhett: 27:56

Do you remember the song that was on when you had that attitude towards it and God kind of spoke to you and kind of initiated the catalyst moment for change? No, okay, and I haven't ever thought about that. That's a good thought. I was just curious. That's a good question. Yeah, well, well, because I was gonna start singing it, but it's okay. Oh, you can do that. I was just gonna bring it up. No, it's all good.

Jon Ross: 28:23

I can tell you what it wasn't. Okay, what was it? It was not, it was not anything by Sinatra.

Rhett: 28:29

Oh, okay.

Jon Ross: 28:30

All right, yeah.

Rhett: 28:32

Which is what I listened to the classic all year now. Those are so good. That's the good stuff. My man, my Paw Paul, my granddad, man, like he he loved like he always sang that at Christmas. Any and he had a great voice. And uh that brings back just great memories for me, anything by Sinatra and those classics.

Justin: 28:51

Oh, the classics, and our kids are so spoiled now how they can go to Apple Music or Spotify and get any song they want at any moment. Yeah. And I remember we would go try to find the cassette tape, and we would have to pick like, do we do Gene Autry? Do we do you're going through all these classic guys and you would buy the one that seemed like and it took you forever to find that song because you had to fast forward and you're like, is this the A side or the B side?

Rhett: 29:16

And then flip it and rewind it, and then find oh, there it is, and get back to the start. Oh yeah, man. I don't I don't miss those days, but I kind of miss those days.

Justin: 29:22

Hey, I had a great Christmas memory, John Ross. Uh, I don't know if you, I mean, you would remember this year. Me and Summer were going through a really uh tough time. We've talked about it before on our podcast. It was the first miscarriage we went through in December of 06. But I remember she encouraged me to still go to the Christmas services and play. And if you remember, at that time I was leading worship for our annex campus at Greystone, the one that was going to go away once Grant's Mill was built, like seven months later. And you were playing at the the really the main campus. At Mountain Brook. And for that Christmas, do you remember they brought us all together? Yeah. And you had you and Jeremy Witten on electric. I was on acoustic. We had kind of the whole crew. I mean, John Larson, Stacy, John Mark, Curry. I mean, you had everybody. You had the choir, you had Brad Parsley. And maybe I can't remember. But but I remember that night singing in the middle of Christmas carols. We did the chorus of Agnus Day. And we did Hallelujah, and it would go into holy, are you Lord God Almighty? And all three, I think we did three services, maybe four. That moment was so healing and so transforming in my spirit. And it was a precursor of what would later happen that December after Christmas was over. But I just when I picture that, John Ross, I always can visual just visualize looking over at you because we really had a moment that Christmas. That's probably the time where we really got to start, I would say, even more fully, our relationship because we spent so much time together during that Christmas holiday. Yeah.

Jon Ross: 31:13

No, I I remember that. The moment you said 2006, it that was what popped in my head. I was like, oh, 2006, that's the year that I stood right next to Justin at Mountain Brook High School. Yeah, man. And for all the Christmas services.

Justin: 31:27

You sure did. I mean, we and we would just look at each other. I mean, it was awesome getting to have that little musician bond that you have when you're playing on the stage together. It was that was a sweet moment for me, bro.

Jon Ross: 31:39

And I don't know if I realized fully what all was going on with you guys at that moment.

Justin: 31:44

No, I didn't tell anybody. John Larson was the only one who knew. Because I still remember walking in, just having a deep sense of just I mean, really brokenness. And John, I had already called because I had been close to him for a while. And when I walked into it was either our rehearsal, final rehearsal, or the first service. You know, those those eyes when John just kind of stares at you, the the eyes of compassion. And I just walked up and he stared at me like, I'm so sorry, buddy. And I gave him a hug. And you know, John, he just gives you that big bear hug. Yeah. Yeah. And um, and it was just it was a real healing moment, but still, even though you didn't know, that it was very healing, just because we still hung out after services and we were goofing off in the parking lot. That was a really, really special time. And I don't know if I've really thought about that detail with you until we're sitting here on the phone and having this Christmas themed episode, if you will.

Jon Ross: 32:47

Yeah, I haven't, I mean, I haven't thought about that that particular year in a very long time. Well, it changed pretty quick.

Justin: 32:56

Well, because the next December, um, maybe we just didn't have budget, but we were throwing socks as snowballs on the Grants Mill stage, and and uh some kind of some kind of product on the stage that made it slippery, and you could have ice skaters. You got to be kidding, and someone's pulling and yeah, it was like plastic, wasn't it? And then someone's pulling like Santa Slate through the middle. This is before I came. Yeah, this is this was uh Christmas of 2007. And I'll always remember do you I don't know if you remember this, J. Ray, but uh Brad, who was leading our worship ministry at the time, he he was trying to get us into it because if you can picture you got the cool musicians, yeah, but it's a real dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun like it's really happy. You gotta be happy, you gotta be excited, and we're we're up there playing, yeah, yeah, you know, uh just how we would normally play. We're locked in. And Brad stopped the song. He said, All right, everybody. I love you. He said, Bring it in, bring it in, guys. All right, listen. Like Colorado voice. He did. He had that Colorado voice, and he says, All right, guys, guys, you gotta know something. When we do this song, people love the cheese. They love the cheese. I like the way you say cheese.

Jon Ross: 34:17

Do you remember that? Oh man.

Justin: 34:20

And he said, so musicians bring you gotta bring the cheese.

Jon Ross: 34:25

And then they might know that was like that. No, they don't. You know, we're like, yeah, we're looking at each other like ain't nobody be loving. I don't know what y'all do in Colorado.

Rhett: 34:34

But in Birmingham, freaking Alabama. That is not bring the cheese.

Jon Ross: 34:43

Yeah, we don't, we don't bring cheese. We bring other things. We don't bring this cheese. That's the last year Brad was with us. That was Christmas 07. Yeah. Yeah, there you go. There you go. Easter of 08. Yeah, we're gonna have a little chat. One of his last. Yeah.

Rhett: 34:58

We're gonna have a little chat with Jesus on this one.

Justin: 35:01

Brad, if you're listening, you went out you went out in style because we did pack out, what was it? One of the was it not Boutwell. What was it? Was it Beltwell? BJCC. BJCC? I don't know. We did a Highlands Easter and we invited everybody together, packed the BJCC out, and and and that was the last.

Rhett: 35:20

First and last for everything.

Justin: 35:21

Yeah, it was it was so funny. People love the cheese. And we gave but we gave them the cheese after. I mean, we were bouncing around. People were throwing socks, and some people donated socks that still have stripes on them.

Jon Ross: 35:36

So it's like when it would come loose in the air, it turned into this long sock with like a little red and blue stripe. That's hilarious. People are getting pounded in the face with socks.

Rhett: 35:45

I know I was gonna get hit up beside the head with socks at Christmas.

Jon Ross: 35:49

This is horrible.

Justin: 35:50

It's just it was quite the memory. And John Rawls was there for it all.

Rhett: 35:55

I think we need to bring that back this year. You need to have that little creative conversation with the guys in Huntsville and go, we're throwing, we're bringing it back. We're going old school. Well, John Ross, you're throwing a sock. John Ross, he can do ready.

Jon Ross: 36:05

I've got an idea. I won't tell you when. One day you're gonna come out of your house and I'm just gonna peg you with a bunch of blow-up socks.

Rhett: 36:12

Please do, please do. Because you gotta love the cheese.

Jon Ross: 36:16

People love the cheese.

Justin: 36:19

But I'm just thinking, why don't we come up with like some of those styrofoam snowballs or just something like at least the ones that are like giant cotton balls? Well, why not do it?

Rhett: 36:27

Just don't do it, you know?

Jon Ross: 36:29

Or just do it on stage at least, so that you're not just hitting people randomly. I just want to meet that.

Rhett: 36:34

This must have been a Kellen Coldiron idea. Like, I got a great idea. We'll just throw socks into the well.

Justin: 36:41

I think we were we had just moved into a new building. We're probably trying to, you know, be good with the budget. So it was very efficient. Like everybody roll up your socks and bring them to rehearsal. Somebody went all happy.

Rhett: 36:51

They're like, oh, I don't have to buy socks for Christmas. Now I think we're taking care of.

Jon Ross: 36:56

I just remember people getting nailed in the head and just looking like, what's going on? Hey, Justin, was that the year that we had a bass player knock over a Christmas tree during a service?

Rhett: 37:10

Now that. Please tell me that's on camera somewhere. If it is, they've gotten rid of it. That's like that meme of that guy playing the drums and the and the Christmas tree falls on him on that small church and he keeps playing the drums and trying to push the tree off of them.

Jon Ross: 37:24

I remember that. So funny. This tree didn't go all the way over, but he was walking off stage and swung everything into it and it trip around everywhere.

Justin: 37:37

That's where I remember that. That's where Pastor Chris would just have to be smooth and just get quiet when something was happening behind him and just let the moment finish.

Rhett: 37:47

Hey friends, Rhett here. Just want to take a moment to speak to those who may be joining us for the first time. We want to say welcome, friends. However, you found us, we are so glad that you did, and we believe it wasn't by accident. We're so glad that you joined us in on this conversation today. In fact, if you haven't already done so, could we encourage you to follow us on social media? You can find us on Facebook or Instagram at ArmchairAuthentic or over on X at ArmchairOff Pod. That's ArmchairOff, A-U-T-H-P-O-D. All right. Thanks for taking the time to do that. Now let's get back to our conversation. As we begin to land this plane here, I want to kind of go a serious moment for a second, give you an opportunity, because we're trying to wrap this thing up with some big rocks before we land the plane on what is the ending of a season or a chapter that is armchair authentic. And so as we have our friend on, J. Ray, like, um, what are you processing this Christmas season? Or what is the Lord speaking to you in this season? What are you learning? How are you growing? Um, and and what's what's a word of wisdom you could share through that thought um to others, you know, in the future through this tool of influence of this podcast that hopefully we'll live on until Jesus returns.

Jon Ross: 39:08

Uh so the the it was what what I'm processing this season.

Rhett: 39:13

Yeah. What are you processing? What are you how are you growing? How are you learning? And and how's that helping you so it can help others?

Jon Ross: 39:20

Uh so one one thing that I've been doing is as I can, and I I'm not doing it super, super consistently, um, but I have been keeping an emotion log. What was that? So literally, just as I go through situations, something comes up, I will just grab a note on my phone and just drop in, hey, this happened, this was the emotion I felt, this is the depth of the emotion, like a seven out of ten, like you know, got feelings hurt, seven out of ten. Here's what happened. But it allows me to go back and actually think instead of just like I'm I'm so forward thinking, like even while we were at Disney, like we would get off a ride and I'd be like, What's next? And instead of being like, Let's talk about the ride we just had, it's it's always hey, what's next? And so um it's it's kind of pushing me back to sit down and look and say, Okay, well, this is what I just experienced. Well, let's take a second and let's actually think about it. And so it's fun because I mean, me and you know, I'm me and Rachel will talk about some of them, and um, but it just is it gives me an opportunity to reflect that I normally have never done before. Um I I don't stop to reflect. So maybe stop stopping and to reflect might be the best way to think about it because I'm trying to do it just with moments too. There were several moments while we were at the park, um, just you know houses near us that have you know with their Christmas decorations up. You just kind of instead of just like, oh, that's great, and moving on, it's stopping and and hey, that's really awesome.

Rhett: 41:25

Yeah.

Jon Ross: 41:27

Taking a second to enjoy the now instead of always being in a giant rush to get to what's next.

Rhett: 41:34

That's beautiful, man. That is awesome. Thank you for sharing that because that speaks so much to the season of life that I'm I'm learning to live in the same. And um you can yeah, so I I'm hearing how it's helping you. It's it's it's seen it sounds like I don't want to put words in your mouth, I think it's helping you be grateful for the moment that is today rather than in in the now, rather than constantly thinking about the future. It's to slow down enough to go, man, that was great. And here's why, and this is what I'm feeling from this moment. Yeah, 100%.

Justin: 42:11

Yeah, also see how that's helpful. You know, we're emotional creatures, some of us more than others, and uh being the musician side, you know, we've talked about that when we hang out, John Ross. I mean, that's just a part that part of our spiritual growth over the past, you know, 21 years that we've known each other. There's just a deep emotional side that you wrestle with and you deal with, and you feel secure one day, insecure the next. You feel fearful one day, you feel hopeful the next. You feel accepted one day, and the next day it feels like you're rejected. And it's not living in any of those. It's wrestling. And for you to say that you've got this note that you'll write out the emotion, the incident that happened, what the emotion was, and even rating it on that scale, I would imagine that that's something you're gonna be able to look back at next time there's a similar emotion to almost it makes it where you don't have to be reactionary based on what happens to you in life. Yeah, you can actually sit and acknowledge something happened, the feelings I'm feeling, they're real feelings, but the truth that I'm trying that the inner critic that's telling me what the truth is, that's not really the truth.

Jon Ross: 43:26

Yeah. Yeah. Well, and it's it's helping me process so that the next time I go through something and experience some of the same things instead of responding to the immediate emotions, it's allowing me to slow down and say, Hey, I know what that is, I don't have to give into that.

Justin: 43:50

Yeah.

Jon Ross: 43:51

So that's that's been a fun part of it too.

Justin: 43:54

Yeah, that hey, that's profound. Uh, you know, for our listeners too. This is such a great season. I know it's the hustle and bustle. We're getting closer and closer to Christmas Day, but when you maybe you'll find some time just to sit still. Maybe it's going to be the week after Christmas, but I would encourage you what John Ross has been exploring with even through this. That would be, I mean, you've got me thinking too in my journal that I write in. I try to write in it as close to daily as I can, but to add some of these columns to describe some of these feelings, that could be a really, really good exercise for some of us who are listening right now. So, man, thank you for that. Yeah, I think that's wisdom, John Ross. Thank you for giving us just that drop of wisdom right there.

Rhett: 44:37

Yeah, I'm reminded of a verse like um it's in Proverbs. Basically, here's my paraphrase hang out with the wise, become wise. And this is why I'm grateful for J. Ray in my life, even if it's out at a little bit more distance than your relationship with Ross. How about that? Ross. Oh, yeah. So because because we we all help each other and we grow and we're pointing each other toward a direction of becoming the best version of ourselves, which is a human being, not a human doing. And uh there's something so beautiful about being able to, you know, resonate with okay, here's what I'm feeling as a human being. It doesn't necessarily mean it's the truth, but this is how what I'm going through. But it it kind of points me to the experience that is humanity, to not always be living for the future or the past, but to really just be present in the moment that is the present, which is now, which is really where God wants us to live every day. Yeah, I mean right, which is where honestly the peace, uh and especially in the season that we call peace, right? We we always claim peace in this season, but yet it seems to be the most chaotic season. But it's it's applying a simple principle like that in our lives that recenters us back to what it's all about. It's the moment I have today with the people that I love, the Disney experience, if you will, with what he's experiencing right now. I'm not so much looking forward to the next mountaintop. Like that. Let's talk about this experience we just had. Yeah, let's enjoy that moment. And I think, man, that's so profound, yet so simple, and yet very practical way to apply it to our life to bring us to a centered peace that is Christ, but also uh a heart of gratitude for every moment, despite what we're going through. I love that, man. Thank you for sharing that, bud. It's been a joy and honor and a privilege to get to have you um as a friend of my life, but also to have you, you know, hey, on the podcast again with your lovely wife. It's been amazing. Yes, um, bro. It's uh I'm looking forward to the next, you know, to now, but also what the Lord has in store in the future. And hopefully it'll be a little bit more of J. Ray and Rachel in our life. Amen. Me personally. Yeah, you get you get better at their apart. Yeah. Love you, bro, so much. Thank you for making the time.

Jon Ross: 46:43

Hey, seriously, thank you guys for letting me get on so that I can at least tie Mark.

Rhett: 46:48

Yeah.

Jon Ross: 46:49

Um hopefully he'll he'll hear that, and then I'll get a text message that that says that you know, I know the text message is gonna be I got there first. Yeah, but that's okay. We at least tied.

Rhett: 47:02

But between the two of you, there's only one who's phenomenal.

Justin: 47:08

And there's only one, and there's only one who brought his significant other with him. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's true.

Rhett: 47:15

Yeah, so again there. For the friends who are listening for the first time, go back and reference the last time that J. Ray was on in the studio and yeah, and the word phenomenal came up quite a few times. Quite a few times.

Justin: 47:27

And and I'm I'm not going to say that it does do this, but I mean, it kind of feels like three to two. But nah, we'll just say two to two. We'll just say we'll just say two to two. Hey, John Ross, love you, man. Yeah, I hope you guys have some amazing services coming up this weekend and on into the next. Yeah. We love you so much. Hope the Aldridges have an amazing Christmas season and that this message that you even got to bring onto this episode will ring on into uh the days until the Lord's return, man. Thanks for speaking into us and what will be our kids, but also our grandkids. Amen.

Jon Ross: 48:07

Hey, thanks for thanks for letting me hop on. I had a blast. I love you guys. It was great hearing from y'all.

Rhett: 48:11

All right, bro. We'll talk to you later, dude. All right, see you guys. Bye. Bye. Bye, buddy.

Justin: 48:18

Well, great guy. Oh man. Great guy. You know, that just that's the way to just go ahead and wrap up an episode. Oh man, totally. Where do you go from there? You can't. You can't. You know what you do. So good. You just go grab lunch, you go get a haircut. You just gotta go do something else after you hear something like that.

Rhett: 48:33

Speaking to like what is actually on my agenda after this, when we hit end, I'm heading out the house, driving 30 minutes to go get my hair cut. And I'm gonna go eat lunch. Hey! Hey!

Justin: 48:42

People love that cheese.

Rhett: 48:49

Hey friends, thank you so much for joining us on today's conversation. We're really looking forward to next week's. But until then, we hope you have a great week. Stay safe. We wish God's blessing on all of you, and we look forward to seeing you right here next Monday on Armchair Authentic.