Scripture And Spiritual Kickoff

Chris Grainger 1:34

Welcome to the Lion Within Us, a podcast serving Christian men who are hungry to be the leaders God intends you to be. I'm your host, Chris Granger. Let's jump in. All right, guys, meet episode time. Let's get into it. But before we get to our guests, let's talk about our scripture the week, which is out of the book of Joel, chapter 2, verse 25. It says, I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten, the great locusts and the young locust, and the other locust and the locust swarm, my great army that I sent among you. So, guys, I took some time. I unpacked that verse add link in our spiritual kickoff episode. Go back and listen to it. We try to simplify and apply God's word into our life. Hopefully, you'll be encouraged by that. And if you guys like the spiritual kickoff episodes, hey, we do them Monday through Friday at the Lion Within Us. Go to the LionWithin.us, click on that daily SKO. That's what it's going to be called. Sign up for free. It's a great way to get plugged in. You'll get the daily teachings. You'll also get access to our prayer request space. And you'll also, if you're in the continental U.S., you'll get a free gift. We'd love to send that to you. Drop it in the mail, and you'll have it in no time. Okay, guys. So the lionwithin.us is where you want to find all that. This is going to be a fun one, guys. We're having my buddy Al Robertson back on. Al and I have just formed such a great friendship and relationship over the last several years. He's had me on Unashamed podcast a couple of times. I think this is the third or fourth time that Al has been on The Lion Within Us. But it's just been such a great uh opportunity when I when I was with them a few weeks ago uh going on their show. I was like, you know what, you know, we got to work together some more. He has this new movie that can that's coming out, and we're gonna talk a lot about this today, okay? And and just and the genesis how the movie came to be, some behind the scenes stuff that you guys you're not gonna hear anywhere else but here. So I'm just very excited for Al just to take the time. I even asked him, I'm like, a couple years ago, when the lion was just getting started, why in the world did you even respond to me? And then he had his answer, just uh it was very humbling. It just speaks to the character and nature of who Al is, as well as Lisa. Their marriage is just incredible. And again, I've able to spend time with them several times over the last few years and just to see it's a genuine love, and and so I'm really excited to help him get the message out about this new this new film, it's on lifetime, and hopefully you guys are gonna enjoy this one. So sit back, enjoy this conversation with my buddy Al Robertson. Well, Al, welcome back to The Lion Within Us. How are you doing today, buddy? I'm doing great, man.

Al Robertson 3:58

Thank you for having me, Chris. It's always a pleasure.

Chris Grainger 4:01

Well, I mean, it's always fun having you on. I think this is the third or fourth time you're on, but it but this one, so I just worked with you on on a shame, which thank you again, which we're gonna talk about that in a minute. But but then I work with your brother Willie, and I'll be honest now, he he he fired a few shots at you, man. So I feel like I'm trying to give you a chance to fire back.

Al Robertson 4:19

Well, you know, uh Willie has uh never met a camera or a microphone that he didn't like. Um he's kind of the Will Rogers of uh celebrityhood, I guess. And uh so his head gets a little bit large from time to time along with the rest of him. And um, so that's that's what happens uh when you're when you're insecure. Yeah. He's he's a middle child. The thing is, in my family, because there were four boys, so we had the unfortunate thing of having two middle children, and it's Jace and Willie, which explains why they are the way they are. And if you watch our show, you'll see that the most troubled two were those two. And it's ironic because Jeff and I were prodigal sons, you know, we had a period of time where we kind of walked away from our faith, uh, but we're also normal human beings and weird. So while I tip my cat to Willie and Jace for not being prodigals, they're the older brother in the uh prodigal story, the and the weird one, you know, and Willie in particular, uh, that's just kind of the way he is. And so uh he loves to throw us under the bus. But trust me, I I originated the bus. Uh, so I I I drive that bus. So I have no problem throwing Willie under it as well. There you go. There you go. What shot did he fire? Because he usually talks about how fat I am. But now that I've lost all my weight, he couldn't even go there, could he? I bet he never mentioned weight at all.

Chris Grainger 5:44

No, he didn't touch that one. No, you're crushing now. I was talking to him. I said, you know, I was having lunch with Alan. And he says he, you know, he sees you the most in airports now because you guys are both speaking and doing events and things like that. He's like, Yeah, I'm an owl. He says I'm an owl's house more than he ever is because he is out on the road. He's I'm in his backyard cleaning brush piles right now, today. He's like, that's an owl

Meet Al Robertson Again

Chris Grainger 6:06

issue, not a Willie issue.

Al Robertson 6:09

Well, he does. The man loves to burn things, and he has since he was a child. In fact, if he hadn't become a Christian and and become civilized, he probably would have been a pyromaniac. Pyrromania. Yeah, he would have he'd probably be in prison for starting fires, but he loves to burn piles. Ever since he was a little kid. And he I I will give him credit because dad was anti-yard work. You know, he he's famously said, you don't have to mow grass. I mean, the frost gets it every year, you know. And uh he said, you don't have to worry about all that. He said, and tree limbs fall, that just you know becomes ways for things to grow. And so he just never did take care of things very well. But Willie always has, and so now we have this like huge compound that we're all a part of. And so we had the icepocalypse uh this past winter with all these trees that you know, because of the ice storm we had, and he forbade his kids, because his kids live all around, and they're my neighbors too, because we're all together. He forbade them from hiring a tree company or or a you know cleanup company to come in and clean because he wanted to do it himself. So he's got a bunch of equipment and tools. And I of course I don't adhere to my younger brother or listen to what he says, so I hired people to do mine so it wouldn't look bad. Because the thing about it is he's still working on it. His apocalypse was six months ago. That's what I was thinking. Yeah, he's still working on it. So his so Christian was like, and then Christian uh Sadie says he's like, I mean, because you know, he we do a podcast together on the uh unashamed Hillsdale. He said, and I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do. I felt kind of guilty because like my father-in-law was out there working, and so I felt like you know, if I'm just sitting in the house while he's out there working in my yard, it made me feel guilty and feel bad. And so I said, I I can already tell you what happened. And he said, What? I said, You went out and asked him, and he said, No, I got this. Just go back inside and play with the kids. He said, That's exactly what he said. How'd you know that? I said, Because I know my little brother and I know how he thinks. He doesn't want you out here messing up what he's trying to do, plus he loves it. So he he's the burn pile guy, is what I call. He is, he is. Well, we had a we had a lot of fun together. I mean, for sure. And he loves the Lord. He's uh he is a gospel, as he's invit he invent he didn't invent the word, it was an old word, but he has brought it to life. And I will say uh uh uh one thing about Willie. Um, when he gets a hold of something and it gets old to him, he's all in. And uh that's what's happened. Uh you know, he it we wouldn't have never been on television. Duck Dynasty would never happen without he and Corey's vision for seeing it happen. And uh because none of us thought it was even possible. And so I do like dreamers. Uh they jokingly say that people come to him, he's where dreams come to die. He's like Les Miles at Dell SU, but because you know he's always shooting you down if you come up with an idea. But he does that because he is an idea guy. So uh it's it's been fun to see him get so excited about the gospel. And I will say this I mean, Lisa and I are super busy. This year we'll probably do 35 events. Willie will do probably 45 events or 50. So he actually is on the road more than I am, and and that's just a testament to how we want to try to get out and help people. And Lisa and I kind of do it through pro-life and marriage, and his is just sharing the gospel with people. But he's really good at what he does. So I throw him out of the bus, but I'll let him sit up front every once in a while.

Chris Grainger 9:34

There you go, there you go. And it was making me think too, how just kind of speaking about because I as I've got to know you and the and the family over the last couple of years, people ask me, like, what do you guys really like? And I just always tell them, I said, This is as authentic a family as you you'll ever see. And it made me just think back and reflect. What did make you respond to me when I first reached out? I mean, I I was a again, this is the Lions relatively small ministry. God's doing some cool stuff, but why why would you even give a guy like me some time, man?

Al Robertson 10:06

Well, you know, Chris, uh it's a great question because I've done the same thing with a lot of other people, because it inspires us to know that we we're like you, just a normal guy, you know, has a bit run a business in our case, duck calls for you is what is what you were doing, and raising your family. And yet, you know, you get an idea that you know you want to help people in some way because you've been helped. And uh so and when you reached out to me, you know, you had listened to our podcast and found it inspirational and had some ideas about what you wanted to do and how you wanted God to use you. And

Family Banter And Real Life

Al Robertson 10:41

so, you know, I I love being able to help when I can. And you know, you can't always help everybody, but you can always help somebody. And sometimes that's just you know, remembering what God did to get you out there. So I I love it. I was on a podcast uh not too long ago with a couple young guys, and you know, they don't have a huge audience, they're up in somewhere up north uh Pennsylvania, I think. And but you know, they've been inspired and they're like, you know, we we have things we want to share with people. And I'm like, well, I'll tell you what, I'll help you how however I can. And uh and so I I like that idea. I always say you can never pay God back, you can never pay the person back who was a blessing to you, but you can always pay it forward. And by doing that, you help someone else find some way they can do something as well. And I think that's just kind of part of what we do. And so if you get a you get a world full of people who are thinking pay forward instead of pay back, then we're gonna have a lot of good things that are gonna happen. Uh we just had we just had a guy on our podcast today uh that was that came from Iran. Of course, that's a big topic now, with you know, obviously, you know, it was what's going on in the world. But you know what what won his dad over and ultimately which paved the way for this man to become a Christian, was that a group from a church went into a restaurant and because they saw instead of complaining about how bad the service was, they saw that the guy who just opened the restaurant who was an Iranian refugee, and this is back, you know, 40 years, almost 40 years ago, they they got up and rolled up their sleeves and helped bus tables and help cleanup and help weight tables. And what that guy saw was some American Christians that just were showing love to somebody that was here from another country, another regime, uh, really somebody that we've been at war with for 47 years. And that convinced his dad that there was goodness in in America. And when the time came for this man, David, to go, someone invited him to go to church, it happened to be that same church that two weeks earlier had helped in the restaurant, and he said, Oh, I know those people. They're good people. Yes, you can go. And he never thought, because they were, you know, strict Muslim, that he would ever let him go to that church. And later he winds up becoming a Christian and led the whole family, including his dad, years later, to Christ. So, but what was you know what did it? Love. Someone paid for a debt that God had given them to love and help other people. And so it just it really inspired my heart because it just, you know, we've been studying 1 John on the podcast before we got into James. And you read that verse, God is love, and you think, man, what a deep concept, but really it's a simple concept. I mean, he says, You can love because I first love you. And so that's that paying forward, you know, as we go as we go and do it. And so, and even you and I, we're friends now because the relationship is developed, and we're ministry partners because I always want to pay forward what God's done for me.

Chris Grainger 13:43

Right. Amen to that, brother. Amen. I mean, you're doing such a great job and support. So just publicly thank you from the bottom of my heart. You mean this our friendship means so much to me now as well. And and then you one of the main reasons we want to have this podcast is because you guys had this new project that just came out. And I this is one of the first podcasts that I've had my my homework for. It wasn't reading a book, but was watching a movie, and I was like, all right, I can I can I could then actually do this one.

Al Robertson 14:10

So it's it takes it takes a little uh well, I said recently about the movie, uh Chris, that um because I was at our church, and so I had before the before it came out, I was preaching on Mother's Day, and the the movie was releasing the next week, and so I showed the trailer because this thing happened fast. Like the decision to do it, the process of filming it only took like 30 days because it's a TV movie. So, you know, like our only experience had been the blind. Right. And so, you know, I just I didn't ever dream they'd be able to film uh, you know, an hour and 40-minute content movie in 30 days. But yeah, then I thought back to what we used to do on our television show, and you know, they were doing a 30-minute episode uh back in those days in in three days, three or four days. So I thought, well, yeah, you know, on TV it's possible. And so uh this thing came together fast. And so it's about to release, and I had just seen a rough cut only like two weeks prior to that, and the trailer was out now, and so I showed the trailer to our church. And so when I was up uh preaching uh a couple of Sundays ago, right after it came out, I I said, I said, Well, you know, it was hard to watch, uh for for for me, uh, because it's your life and and some of the harder parts of your life. It was hard to make because they had to do it really fast up in Arkansas. They filmed the whole thing up around Bentonville, Arkansas. Okay. And and it was, but it was harder to live. It was hardest to live. And to live through the difficult things, the trials and the temptations and the the difficulties and the hurts and things like that. So uh, but I am glad you got to see it. And I and I would love to know what you think about it too. Yeah, I mean, we we loved it.

Chris Grainger 15:54

I mean, my me and Becca, we sat and watched it, no

Paying It Forward With Love

Chris Grainger 15:56

kids. We were able to actually watch it without any disruptions, which is kind of hard when you got four kids, but we we pulled it off and uh w we thought it was well done. I mean, one of the things that that uh came up and she and she mentioned to me, she's like, I didn't she didn't know a lot of your story in the in the whole story. So so that was a little bit of of illuminating to her, and and it kind of just made me think too, like what put on your heart and Lisa's heart to even want to do a movie like this and put 'cause it you're putting a lot of your you know the personal story out there. So just how did you guys wrestle through that?

Al Robertson 16:28

Well, it kind of goes back to the story itself. Um so the you know, we were it's 27 years ago is when the movie kind of climaxes at the you know how things went. And they were covering from, like you said, we were teenagers until we were around in our thirties, early 30s, is and that's about how the actors are. So they're pretty good range because they had to play us as teenagers as well as you know, young adults, and they did. Right. But uh when it actually, when it happened in real life, um, you know, we we came back together, but it was very like most couples that go through infidelity and everything we deal with in the movie, it's really rocky, and you know, at first you don't even know if you're gonna make it, and then you realize that you can make it, and then you realize that, man, it's better than it's ever been because we're dealing with stuff we'd never dealt with before. And so as the years begin the healing process of going through a major rupture like that in a relationship, and it was really covering 15 years of just kind of not knowing what we were doing and and not dealing with some past sinful hurts. And so as we're doing that, well, people are sending people to us because they've heard our story. You know, I'm working for the church and now I'm back, you know, up preaching and speaking. And so from time to time I would illustrate with some of the things we were dealing with. And so people just start sending people to us, and they're just like, with this this terrible situation. Of course, there's people in our own church that were going through a difficulty, or maybe somebody was unfaithful or you know, having some marital strife. And so, you know, we just kind of started a uh kind of a counseling thing, not really planning on it, it was just because we had learned some things. And um, and we had been in counseling, and and Joe Beam, our mutual friend, had uh had helped us, and we would send people to their their crisis weekends, things they do. And so then all of a sudden we're t we're talking about it more and more. And we realize we can do that because we've been healed. And so maybe, I don't know, six, seven, eight years after, you know, we were healing, um, we got up one Sunday at our church and and did our testimony. And of course, I was up all the time preaching and teaching, but we had really just never done the story. And celebrate recovery was going strong here then. And so we were kind of getting used to hearing people's testimony up front. And uh, but we'd never heard a testimony quite like this. And especially people that, you know, were were new to us or didn't live it with us, and they were like, That's one of your preachers? Well, yeah. Right, yeah. They said, Well, you guys, you guys really will take anybody. But I'll never forget it. It was on uh it was on Halloween, and you know, church is never sure what to do with Halloween anyway. Yeah. And uh I called it a gory love story. That was the name of the testimony when we did it. But we just talked about obviously, and we read it, you know, this was what you do in CR. But it was really good for us. Well, and somebody was there and heard it and said, would you come do that at our church? And we were like, You want us to come tell our story? And it was like, yeah. And so it was close nearby church here. So we went and told our story there, and then we went and told our story somewhere else. And then it got to where, after, you know, a few years of this, we didn't even need notes anymore because we could just tell the story. And then we get on a hit television show, and all of a sudden we write a book, and our story is out there at an even deeper level. Yeah. And so we've been sharing doing the testimony for many, many years, and really believing what John said, you know, that in Revelation 12, 11, that the way to overcome the evil one is by the blood of the Lamb, the power of your testimony, and to not love this life so much that you would shrink back from anything. And so I wasn't gonna shrink back from that. And so to a long way around to answer your question, why would you do this? So, whenever the blind idea came up for the movie about mom and dad's life, and and particularly dad's turning his life, uh, of course, Zach co-wrote the script, and then you know, Corey and Willie were, you know, produced it. And they had asked dad about it, and he wasn't sure about doing it. And he didn't really, he he just didn't wasn't sure he wanted to at this point in his life, you know, put it out there on a movie screen. So when that happens, they they turned to the owl, the owl, the f the fill whisperers, what they call me, right. Uh because I could always talk dad into pretty much anything, uh, because we just had that sort of bond as oldest son. And so I went in and and uh I said, Dad, what about this movie project? You know, they're wanting to they're wanting to do this thing. And uh he said, Yeah, I'm not sure about that, Al. He said, you know, I mean, everybody knows I was a reprobate, a heathen, you know, and he goes into his little, you know, his spiel that he does. But, you know, to actually see it on a movie screen and to have it acted out is quite different. And so he said, What would you think about having the worst things of your life on a movie screen? I said, Well, Dad, it would probably be really hard to watch. I said, But I think it will impact in a good way for the kingdom. And I think I think it'll make a difference. And so, you know, Dad, you remember Dad, Chris, and he just has a way of kind of looking straight through, you know, he's just looking at me and uh, you know, kind of head cocked a little bit. And he said, You think it would win some? I said, Oh, I know it will win some. I said, Because a movie is just a different art form telling a story. And most stories are made up. I said, But Dad, do you realize how pe many people have lived on planet Earth, billions now? When you go back through all of human history, which isn't as many as there are now, but it it is in the billions of people, human beings, how many people have had a movie made about their life? I said, it's not very many, and you'd have to do something really bad or really good for them to make a movie, or both, and you did both. Right. So he's he's looking at me, you know, and I'm I'm winning them over. And he says, Well, if you think it'll help some people, let's do it. And so we did, and obviously it was great, and it was, you know, and so we had a podcast series about the movie, and Sadie was hosting it, and she asked Dad, it was so funny because you know, there's like the whole family's on the podcast set, and she said, Uh, Papo Phil, what did you think about the the actor that played you? What did you think about his performance? He said, Not much. You know, just in a very, you know, dad sort of way. And we all just kind of gasped because we looked and we thought, did he just say he thought the guy was terrible? And and then he could he waited, dad's so good. He waited for that little beat, and then he said, Yeah, I didn't think it was much because he he was just like me. It was it was hard to watch. And so what he was saying was he didn't think much of the performance because it was so much like him. And so to fast forward now, the uh the Phil Whisper uh had to get to have the same conversation with himself because uh when they came to me and Lisa about doing the film, you know, I had to listen to my own words that I gave to dad. Will it help marriages? Will it help people? Will it help anybody? And so, and and the answer was yes. I mean, we go out and we tell our story all the time to try to help people understand what God has done in our marriage. Right. And so this is just another format of that. And I was, to be honest with you,

Why Make A Lifetime Movie

Al Robertson 23:46

Chris, my my main goal, because you don't make any money hardly on a TV project, you know, it's so it's not about that. And I'm we're already fairly famous. It's probably as famous as we're ever going to be. So them making a movie about it's not gonna add much to that either, because people that watch it have already heard of us. But what I have now is a professionally done movie, very well done, very well produced, with really talented actor and actress, that I can take that material and put it into what we share with people and have something that's gonna help enhance uh our story to make it even more powerful. And so look, I cr I cry every time I watched it. I cried, I've seen it four times now, and my last time to see it, I cried the least I have so far. So I'm I'm hoping maybe by number five that I but I know if it's impacting me that way and it's my story, I lived it and I was a part of the script that it's gonna touch some folks and their lives. And so that was really why we did it. Uh, I'm excited about, you know, now kind of this fall having some new things, enhancements when we do marriage refreshes and uh and seminars and and things like that. So I'm super excited about it. I I think it's already helped a lot of people. We we sat down with the young actor and actress that played us via like we're doing now via Riverside. And uh so I spent two hours with Luke and Lisa spent about an hour and a half with uh Haley upstairs down at the Southern Lair. She was Lisa was upstairs, I was downstairs in my studio. And immediately, and we're talking to each of them, but independent of each other, because we're trying to tell them, you know, who who we are and look them in the eye and you know, explain this. And so this is kind of how the only time we're gonna have with them personally, other than the research they had done for us and reading our book. That was it. That was the only way that was it. It was two hours. And uh what was amazing was is within the first 10 minutes, as if I would meet anybody, uh, he was sharing with me and Haley was sharing with Lisa some things in their own personal lives that had touched them about the script and about our lives and about you know what God had done, and they both were seeking some faith things in their own journeys. And it was just it really touched me because I thought, you know, these are the first, these are the people gonna play us. Yeah, but this story and this script and this movie is already shaping some in their hearts and lives, in their relationships. And so it it had, and that's the way it has to work. And uh, mom and dad's movie was the same way. Uh it it it impacts the people even that play us. And so, you know, and look, I was nervous, Chris, because you know, I don't know how it's gonna be. I to be honest with you, I'd never seen a lifetime movie before. Now I'm in a lifetime movie. And so I didn't know how this was gonna go. I knew it was primarily aimed at women, um, you know, in terms of the, and it really is kind of more Lisa's story, but it's, you know, obviously I'm a big part of that. But uh, you know, I I was so impressed uh with both of them. Uh I told Luke uh after I texted him when the movie, right after we watched the premiere when it came out, and I said, dude, it felt like I was watching myself. I mean, five minutes into the movie, I wasn't watching watching an actor play me, I was watching me. Really? And uh and every yeah, and every time I watched the movie, I feel that way even more. Even the slight looks and just the cockiness I had in my youth. Uh I just thought he really nailed it. And and then I thought Haley was fantastic as Lisa. Just the woundedness of what Satan had done in her life and from a child even coming forward from some of the hurts that I had caused uh in her life as well. So it's uh it is quite the story of redemption. We're very pleased with it. Uh I love all the folks that were in it. And uh, you know, it's turned out to be a a great experience for us. And I hope it helps a lot of people.

Chris Grainger 27:36

Yeah, no doubt. I mean, in the in the scene where the crowbar scene with you and this in the walk back home just reminded me, because I remember you guys talked about Jeff and his his return back home. I just felt like there were some similarities there. Yeah, just that that what a powerful moment that was just to be received back by the family and just you know, the love that that that they extended to you and and the way your mom, they they they really they did that beautifully. The what yeah, uh the conversations with you and her throughout that just.

Al Robertson 28:05

Yeah, that's one of my favorite scenes too, in the toward the end of the film when I'm kind of on the fence about and and and it portrayed it correctly. I was probably leaning against uh us staying together, just didn't know if I could deal with it again, you know, because you know, we didn't depict in the film, but there had been a early in our marriage, there'd been another situation that wouldn't go as far as the full-blown affair, but enough where it was an emotional connection. And so I just thought like a lot of young guys did that, you know, I married the wrong person, I jumped in too quick, you know, all the things we'll say basically to release us from the situation. And again, not saying uh a lot of people have had that happen and couldn't stay together, and I respect that. Uh uh we tell couples all the time, because they'll say, Well, I wish we could have done what you guys did, but we didn't, you know, I got a divorce, but now I've here's my wife, we're trying to do the right thing. And I said, Look, Christianity and Christ in particular takes us where we are and he grows us. And so I understand that sometimes we can't get past hurts, and you know, our marriage is not the story of redemption, but is is one that gets broken and stays broken. But you can be redeemed, and you don't have to keep living with these past hurts. And so even as a divorced couple, you have to find ways to get Christ in there and do the right thing. And so that's part of what we try to do to help people. But, you know, I so I I totally understand, but I there's a scene in there where mom is reminding me, and of course, Joe's book is in the movie as well. Yeah, it's called Getting Past Guilt. I know you I know he's been a guest on your show before. But uh that it was called Forgiving Forever back in those days. And look, that book, I'm telling you, Chris, other than the Bible, I've told you this before, uh, was the biggest life changer for me because it helped me understand Lisa as a sinner and not just her as a wife who had been unfaithful or who's somebody I couldn't trust. But it and then when I looked at her as a sinner, saved by Christ and the blood of Christ, then when I look in the mirror, I see Al as a sinner, and not just as a person who's been betrayed or wounded, but as a person who has also fallen short of the glory of God and was unfaithful to her uh when we were younger, and I wasn't even a Christian. So and mom helped remind me of that. And and um I don't r you know particularly recall the discussion as we had it in the film, but it was many, it was many discussions. It was it was her living her life as a faithful daughter. And you know, I I tell this story when we talk about Phyllis, who's a sister, you know, we found or found us, you know, when I was she was 45 years old. And whenever the night mom found out about her, because I shared a letter that Phyllis had written to us, and I went down to mom and dad. I believed it was credible enough that I was now going to approach mom and dad with the possibility if there was a daughter out there that none of us ever knew. And when mom and dad are reading the letter, dad is very dubious and doesn't think it's real. But mom is very open to the idea it is real. And when she looks at dad, and the first thing she says out loud after both of, because I said, read the letters and just don't ask me specifically, just read it through and then let's talk about it. And that's what they did. But there was a lot of like you know, verbal cues that were happening. And then mom looks at dad and she says, Phil, you know I've always wanted a daughter, and it's taken me 45 years now to get one. And when she said that, and at this point, we haven't even done a DNA test or anything, but when she said that, it just touched me so deeply. And the scene in the in our movie reminds me of this, because what I realized, Chris, was that when my mom forgave my dad 45 years earlier, when he became a new son of God, that she meant it. Because now, 45 years later, there was a consequence of his old life that had now come into our world and our life that we were gonna have to deal with and figure it out if it's true. But she didn't care because she had forgiven dad and she had the capacity to love this daughter that would not be hers. And so I just marveled at that. And to be honest with you, we've probably had 10 different families that have approached us, or you know, me personally, 10. I there's no telling the rest of the family and Phyllis herself. Yeah. We've had a lot of people approach us with situations similar, but I would say eight out of ten, it doesn't go well. And the reason it doesn't go well is the wife usually can't handle uh having somebody, you know, brought into the family in such a way or it brings up old wounds or whatever. And so, and again, that's no not. People have things they have to deal with, but I'm saying my mom is special. And so the lesson she taught me about forgiveness was a lesson lived. And because of that, uh and and my own saving grace that Christ had done in me, I had the capacity to see the possibility uh of what now has become a reality. And I love my wife deeply. I mean, she she knows she means the world to me. And this movie has even enriched that love all the more. And so I appreciate so much

Forgiveness Learned From Mom

Al Robertson 33:21

that she didn't run away into the world, which she easily could have done, because to stand and fight and to stand as the uh accused in a situation like this where a whole church basically is, you know, mad at you because you know, you you've killed the the the the wonder boy, you know, that's that's what they call me growing up. And I worked this church my whole life. And to to wound him and to wound my family, which was everybody loved their family, was such a hard thing, but she was a warrior in the sense that she would not walk away. And instead she faced those demons from her past and God healed it. And you know, 27 years later, you know, she she's my hero. So I love it that the movie is kind of told through her perspective. Yeah. Because she is the the hero of the film and she should be. Well, Jesus said the hero, but but she's the hero in the sense that she didn't run, she stayed. And and it would have been easy for her to run. And uh and I would have let her go, to be honest with you, if she had ran. And so I'm so glad that she didn't.

Chris Grainger 34:25

Amen of that. I mean, and also for your mom, it just speaks to the complete forgiveness. I mean, it's not like old Garf Brooks, you know, the buried a hatchet and leave the handle sticking out, that song. That ain't that that that that wasn't your mom. I mean, it I think that that that came through beautifully with it. And you've already mentioned it a couple of times, the book in the movie. And I just worked with it's uh just ironic of the timing. I worked with Joe Beam today for the second time, and I and and because of of what you told me about needing to connect back with him about this book, I was curious, how did this book land in your lap at that time in your life?

Al Robertson 34:59

You know, it's really interesting uh that you say that because it's another God thing. Whenever um, whenever this was going on, and this was like I said, 1999. Okay. Uh so Howard Books was a company, uh was a subsidiary of Howard Publishing, which is Corey's family, uh, my sister-in-law. Her her grandfather had started a songbook publishing business, and that and they published songbooks. Because, you know, back in the day, everybody read songbooks for worship. You know, you didn't have the screens and the way everything reads. Yeah. Hymnals, that was it. And they were in the hymnal business. Well, so his son, Johnny, took over the business and decided he wanted to get into doing just Christian books, uh, mostly nonfiction, but some fiction as well. And so they approached, uh, somebody told them about a guy named Joe Bean. And so, and they had found out he had written a book or wanted to write a book about spiritual warfare called Seeing the Unseen, which I know you've featured on the on the on your podcast. But so when they reached out to Joe, he said, Well, look, I'll do the the book you're wanting, because uh because he's done his lecture, he's a preacher and very talented. Uh in our circles of our tribe, he was very well known back in the day because he's a very talented speaker and uh great guy. But he had a story behind him that I never had heard before. He said, But I want to write a book about forgiveness. Right. And I want to do that book. So I'll do your book about spiritual warfare, but you have to agree to publish my book about, which is my story about forgiveness. And so they agreed. So he got a two-book deal, which was I told Joe since I said, Joe, that's pretty smart marketing right there. You had him on the hook for one. So you went ahead and got him for the second book. So he did Seen the Unseen, which is a fantastic book. And I knew about that book because it was published in here in West Monroe, which is where Howard Books were. And so that, you know, and I even wrote in the back of that book the small group questions were written by yours truly, because I was a small group. Okay. Yeah. Small group director. So I already had a connection. So then he comes out with this book, For Given Forever, which came out the year that this happened with Lisa and I. I mean, just months prior. It was a brand new book. Brand new. I didn't know anything about it. I didn't even know it was published. And then my world falls apart and Lisa's. And so a group of ladies from our church said, Well, there's this new book out, and this and Phyllis, who was one of the editors, uh Phyllis Boatinghouse was her name, and she edited this book. She said, Lisa needs to read this book. And so she gave it a copy of it to the group of sisters that had kind of surrounded Lisa and were meeting literally daily to study the word, to try to just, you know, they're trying to just keep her head high, you know, because now she's like broken and we're apart and, you know, the whole thing's a big mess. Our church has kind of been an uproar. And so they started studying Forgiven't Forever, which is Joe's book about his story. And so Phyllis gives me a copy because I was, you know, a few weeks went by and I was going to do a conference because I had committed to it, although I was in no shape to go and teach anything, but I'm a man of my word, and I was going to work with some military families in Germany and their kids mostly. And so I said, Well, I'll go and I'll teach, you know. I said, But I'm telling you guys, I'm a shell right now. You know, I'm so empty, I don't even know if I have anything. And so I taught the book of Colossians. I'll never forget it. But I was such a mess. I was crying half the time. And these little people who were there serving our country, these Christians overseas, they just surrounded me in that moment. And I was trying to teach them, but they were really lifting me up. It was an amazing experience. But they had given me the book to read uh on my trip. Well, I started so we're on a plane to Germany, it's going to be a 10-hour flight. I open up the and I read the first like three pages, and I just closed it and I thought, I am not ready to deal with this, you know, because it's about Joe's life and it's he was unfaithful to Alice. And it was just like, nope, I can't do it. You know, I'll be a just a basket case worse than I am. So after I went over there and got loved on and and taught out of this humility and brokenness, I picked it up on the plane ride home and I read it cover to cover in one flight and just sat there and wept when I realized how powerful God is. And it makes me emotional now just thinking about it. And it's in on that flight, the the flight attendant kept coming and saying, Are you sir, are you okay? Because I mean I'm weeping, and but I'm reading, you know, and it just because you know it wasn't even about me, although obviously in the story I could relate to Alice because they were divorced for three years. And and she took him back and married him and trusted him and lost her best friend, her family turned their backs on her. I mean, she went through so much difficulty just because she stood by this man because she saw something. And that book is what convinced me to when I got back home to call Lisa and say, I think we can work this out. I think we can do it. And so the Holy Spirit, I mean, I'm giving him the credit, but through Joe Beam and Alice, did that. And so they we talked about that in in our book in a new season. And then Joe, somebody had mentioned to Joe that we were in that we had mentioned him in our book, and uh, he had no idea. He didn't know me from any of that stuff. He never knew I wrote the questions for seeing the unseen. I mean, I was just on staff at the church there, and he said, You one of the Dutch Dynasty people? They were like, Yes, the oldest son. So he got my number and called me, and and we've been dear friends ever since. Uh, and he'd had no idea I've been sending people to him, and you know, we just had this connection we never knew with each other, but we had both been a blessing in each other's lives, and so they've been very gracious to let us include their story. Uh, actually, I I said it was in a new season. We do mention it there, but we actually tell their story in desperate forgiveness. Yeah. Which is a book about for forgiving people who forgive others, and then some who who don't, and the tragedy that what happens when we can't forgive. Uh, and there's always going to be difficulty that comes from that. So that book, you know, had a long history, and it was right here. It was published right here in West Monroe. And then the company eventually wound up in Nashville, and then Simon and Schuster bought it out, and then they published all of our books, all the early books. Okay. And so it's just a long, interesting history uh of uh of how God worked that out for us. And and you know, the power of what a story. Again, a book is another form. You got a book out, it's another form to be able to tell the story of what you're doing. And so, and your book, by the way, is fantastic. It's so good. You know, we talked about it on unashamed, but I just want to say that to your audience that I've read it. I love it, I love the organization of it, and just you know, just how God has led you to do what you're doing. It's so good. Thank you, brother.

Chris Grainger 42:06

Thank you so much for that. And maybe I'll uh to speak to something here for our listeners out there, you know, your Joe's story, your story, the reconciliation, it came together. So I mean, I I I think you and I have talked in the past, but you know, I had a I had a marriage that failed in you know in uh 2015. Yep. And there was some infidelity there and and she left and and it so we didn't you know, we weren't able to reconcile. So that's when I met Becca a couple years later, and and then we've we've we're coming up on nine years married now, uh this year. And uh God's blessed blessed our marriage. But and I was talking to Becca after watching the movie, I was like, and and it was a good conversation. She was just like, What do you think about this one in your first marriage? Like Al story compared to you in your first marriage. I was like, the the main difference that I think I see Becca is there was no repentance, you know, like like my ex-wife, she she had found another man and and that's that's who she chose to to make the life with. I said, but with Al story, I felt like the repentance, and I asked Joe the same thing. He's like, that's it, because like without a hard repentance, there is no opportunity for reconciliation. So that's it. I I don't know if just if you think that that is the core or a message that you want to share for a guy's listening who are struggling, maybe you know, because they didn't have the ending that you guys did.

Al Robertson 43:20

Yeah, and it it's not about everybody, if if you're a Christian and you really believe that Christ loves you and you've been forgiven, you do have the capacity to forgive another person, even this hurt you this deeply in an affair, whatever. You have the capacity. So it's there, but there's always the caveat, which is why when Jesus said, don't divorce, he said, and he said, except for merrow and faithfulness, because he realizes that there can be a place where a person goes where it can't be reconciled. And the other person has to want to be in the marriage. And look, we can't share each other. Uh there's, you know, this idea of I know there's like a weird thing out here where people try to share spouses, whether all this stuff. But look, it never works out because we're not meant to be shared like that. We're meant to be faithful. God doesn't share us, it says he's a jealous guy. He compares himself to a jealous husband because he says, I can't share you with the evil one. I have to have you fully. I have to have that relationship with you. And so, yes, forgiveness is first core in the idea of repentance. And that that's both individually and how we do with our Savior. And that's why we're called the Bride of Christ. He's our bridegroom. It's the same kind of relationship. It's the closest thing you see on earth to the relationship we have with God. But you have to want that. Lisa had a choice to make. And so she had a choice to make the night I confronted her. Now, as she says, and in the movie depicts it really well, it it unfortunately, because it's a movie, the the intensity of that night, um, I mean, the actors did great, but it wasn't anything as like it was so much more. It was all night long. It was, I mean, Lisa says I could have been a waterboarder for the CIA, the way I interrogated her that night, to get to the truth because she had kept it in for so long that she just wasn't used to being honest. And so when when she finally spoke and it broke, and in the movie that's like 10 seconds before she goes out and falls in the yard. But it that night it was so much more intense because when it finally broke, I mean, it broke. And so when we talk about this to In marriage events, we call it truth vomit because it's literally like what happens when you're real sick and physically you you've got to get this out of your body and

The Book That Changed Everything

Al Robertson 45:41

you can't stop it. Once it starts, it's gonna go until it goes, until everything is purged out of your system. And sometimes that may be a full night of purging to get it out. And so with Lisa, that was the difference. That's what led her to the heart of repentance. And she finally felt that connection to God out in the backyard behind our house because she had finally purged everything that had been there in her whole life. And everything she had done been done to her by other people, by me, by her own brain, thought thinking that she wasn't worthy. And so that was all on early Saturday morning. And I was just, of course, once it all came out, I was a shell because now the truth was out, but I I didn't know how to handle it fully at the moment. So I was just kind of broken as well. And that next day, she goes down to our church and marches down in front of a thousand people and shares what she had done.

Chris Grainger 46:36

That was accurate timing then.

Al Robertson 46:37

Okay, I was wondering what that was. The next day. And so what that was, Chris, that was a woman who had finally found herself in repentance and ready to change because she would have never done that. And then of course, like the next day that I kind of laid out the parameters of how this was going to go forward. I didn't want her living there. I was staying with the you know, the girls were gonna be there. I wanted her and their lives to, you know, because they they didn't deserve having split up parents, but I just couldn't be around her. And so we kind of laid out the parameters of how it was gonna be. And I said, No, I don't, you know, I heard you went forward at church. I don't care about any of that. I mean, that's between you and the Lord. You'll have to work that on your own. That has no impact on me. Now, in that moment when I said that, that was true. But of course, it had a huge impact on me because somewhere down deep, I was so hoping that she was gonna change who she was. I didn't know whether I could stay married to her, but I was hoping that was the case. And so I and the other thing was I said, I asked her what you probably asked your first wife. I was like, are you in love with this man? Or are you gonna, I mean, does do you want to be with I mean, obviously y'all have been together over a year behind my back, and if that and she said no. And uh so she she said, I'm gonna call I want to call him while you're here. And I said, I don't even why do I care? You you're such a liar. Why? She said, because I want you to hear it. Well, she called. He didn't answer the phone, but so she left it on his voicemail. And and so, but she wanted me to hear that. She wanted me to hear it. And later on, that turned out to be a big deal that I got to see that happen because you know, when I did trust her again, I knew she had broken that off. That was one thing. And then the other thing was, I said, Have you talked to your parents? She said, Well, I'm going to talk to them this morning. And that actually happened before she went forward at church. That was on Saturday. I said, Well, I want to go with you. Because Really? Okay. Yeah. I said, and at this point, because I was like, I didn't trust her at all. So I was like, You're going to go up there, and this is going to be all my fault. I said, I know how this is going to work. So I said, I want to be there and hear what you tell them. And she said, Okay. And we did. We went up to their house and uh and she told her mom and dad. And you know, her mom immediately started to blame me. And unfortunately, in the movie, I hate it because her mom had a lot of good qualities. And it's hard to portray a person in only three years.

Chris Grainger 48:58

Yeah, they kind of painted that for her.

Al Robertson 49:00

Yeah, she was kind of the b the villain, and I hate that because but that's you know, in the moment, that's where things were early in our marriage. Right. But but she told and she looked at her, she said, What has he done to make you do this? And she said, Mama, this is not about him. This is me. I'm messed up, and I'm a messed up person, but I've repented and I'm going to change my life. And so she said that to her parents, and this was before she went forward, church. So I I tell you all that to say to your point about repentance. This was all from a person that was going to have to fight and do the right thing. Now, I I was very dubious and doubtful whether she could or would, but it turns out she did. And because of that, I had the capacity that I didn't know I had to forgive her because I also had to forgive me, because I, you know, I'd done a lot of lousy things in my life too that we had probably never dealt with. And so out of healing and out of trusting in Christ and in grace in a new way, and wonderful counsel, by the way, you need good counsel. Pastoral counseling was there for us, couples that helped us. We had a wonderful lady counselor that was tremendous for us. And uh, I sent so many people to her. And after a while, she never even charged us because she was like, You sent me so many people that you know I I have my counseling business is used. And I was saying, look, I'm a beggar who told somebody where to find bread. And so I wanted people to go there. But yeah, so that was a big part of uh if Lisa really the cards were in her hands on where we were going to go or not, because if she had walked away, I would have let her go and we'd be telling a whole nother story.

Chris Grainger 50:34

Right. And also, I mean, I'm I was able the last time I was down, I met one of your daughters. What do they think about this? I mean, this is a big part of their story as well. What has been their feedback on it now?

Al Robertson 50:45

You know, it's really interesting because Alex, our youngest, uh, actually worked on the script and she was kind of our liaison. She works for Tread Lively, which is our publishing, I mean our production arm of the business that Willie and Corey own and Zach works with. And so they actually worked with Wheelhouse, which is the production company for the second Duck Dynasty show, the revival show. And so they co-produced this movie with Lifetime. And so they needed a liaison person. And so since she's a a writer and that's what she does for Tread Liby, she worked on the script. And I gotta tell you, Chris, the first meeting we had with the writing team and the and the writer of our screen, you know, play, uh, we had to go into details of that part of our lives. And I had not talked about it in detail in 25 years. And so we we had to go there in some places, and so we're we're someplace doing an event. So we're we're on a Zoom call and everybody's in the little boxes, you know, as we're watching. And about a third of the way in the conversation, I looked over to Alex and she's just listening, taking notes. And I said, Uh, babe, uh, are you okay with all this? Because, you know, you're our daughter, and some of this stuff you've probably never heard before. I said, Or how are you doing with this? And and she smiled, and everybody kind of looked like, Well, what's she gonna say? And she said, Uh, Dad, I I'm fully uh capable and ready to be a part of this project and happy. And so I was real proud of her because you know it's not easy to hear things about your mom in detail that you didn't, you know, you knew in general, but not in specific. Right. She so she's a big part of it, and I was proud of her, and I was proud of some of the lines from the movie are actually lines that she came up with. Uh, so that was a lot, you know, to have her involved was great. And then our oldest daughter, Anna, who has always been impacted by it because she was a couple years older, and I've always said that, you know, she probably has some insecurities because of this time in her life. She was like 12 years old, which is such a crucial time for your parents to go through a complete meltdown. But she's so loyal uh to us both, but she loves her mom and me, but but especially her mom so deeply. And so, you know, I think it was kind of hard for her. Everybody wanted to watch it the first time, not with each other. Like Lisa and I wanted to watch it with just us. My girls wanted to watch it on their own before we all got together and watched it as a family. And so we did that uh the last time with and my grandkids, and it was interesting watching them because some of them, you know, like my oldest grandson, about a third of the way, he just left and took off. He he he's he didn't want to watch any more of it. Uh but they're in in it because there's the scene where it shows our current family. And so uh but so the rest of them were able to watch it. And my one of my granddaughters, the one that's in the middle, she I said, What'd you think about it? She said, eh, it's just about y'all cheating on each other. And I was like, Well, yeah, that's bad. But I said, But did you what what about the other part, like the forgiveness and all that? And she went, eh, it's just about y'all cheating on each other. I mean, like, right. So I was so not impressed, you know, by the whole story. So it's interesting from their perspective because, you know, they don't really put it together that if we hadn't got it right, you know, our lives wouldn't have unfolded the same way. Right. And the picture that you see at the end where all of us are there, it may not have happened that way with two families or it would have happened differently. And so it is an appreciation, I think, that one day they'll realize it even more than they do now about how powerful the story really is. And so, like any good story, it's it gets better with age, uh, like the original story uh of Jesus. You know, it's it just will get better, I think, over time and help people, hopefully.

Chris Grainger 54:21

Yeah, 100%. And it will, I mean, that's I thought it was it was great how they put that scene at the end with you and Lisa and the whole family. It was just a wonderful touch, just to kind of show the the full culmination of that forgiveness and work.

Al Robertson 54:34

Yeah, that one that one gets me every time, Chris. It's very hard for me not to shed tears uh when I see that because you know, when you've lived it and it's you, you you have a chance now to look back, and the older we get, the more melancholy we get anyway. And since dad has crossed over, uh I tend to get a lot more weepy uh at touching things when I look back over the course of his life or my life or our life. And so, you know, that's uh that's just one of the things. I think that's the tender thing about living a life in Christ, is that you can't appreciate the moments.

Chris Grainger 55:06

You got that right. And I mean, and you're and speaking of your dad, I mean you're you're still doing unashamed, things are going great there, but what do you miss the most about him on that show specifically of unashamed?

Al Robertson 55:16

You know, it's uh I I just I miss his nuggets uh of wisdom that uh would would come from his observations uh and uh his approach to life and scripture. It's just he has a he had a a or has, because his stuff is still out there, a prophetic way of presenting is such a black and white, right and wrong, no doubt about it. And even stuff he may not even be sure about, because he's hey, I could be wrong, you know. But at the same time, he's so convicting, and so that part of our show will always be missing because you know he's that dynamic. We we try to, you know, we all have our different uh feel qualities, we call them, but they're just different from him. And so recently I was able to I did an event and they sent me the run of show and they had a couple of clips from dad and they sent them to me to to look at them,

Repentance Before Reconciliation

Al Robertson 56:06

and it's just things they had found on the internet to ask me if it was okay to use them, you know, before I spoke that night. And uh they were great. One of them was him sharing his story, uh, a book project we had done, and I was I was actually filming him that day we did it, sitting on his front porch, and it was really good. And then they had another one where he tells a story from the duck line, and it I told him, I said, Yes, you can use it, of course. I said, and and it and for me it was you know very special because I had introduced dad for many years of when he would go speak somewhere, he wanted me always to be there with it. Me and Lisa would be there with him, mom, and I would always do a little 10-minute intro and kind of funny stuff and talk about the show, and then he would come up and just hit him with a sledgehammer, you know, like dad does. And so I said, it's kind of great that now I get have dad introduce me. And so we can do that now because of technology and because of his so it's always like he's always there. And so I love that. I love that these people and you know, at the event Georgia did that, and they just did it because they thought it'd be cool as for the night, but it was a lot more meaningful to me to have dad get to, you know, from beyond the grave uh to get to set up uh my story, which he's such a big part of. So yeah, and this set is full of uh our little Phil Nuggets. We got his Bible open over there. Maddie always makes sure it's open to whatever we're studying. And so Jace, the first time she he thought an angel was coming in here at night and turning it to the page, but it was just Maddie. Who who is it? Who is our angel, I guess? Our guardian angel. But uh, yeah, so we have a lot of we have his uh thermos in here. There's some of his duck calls are here, and a lot of little Easter eggs uh behind me. Uh but you just moved though, right? You're not in the old the lair to layer was at. Yeah, that's right. That's the OG. Actually, we started in Phyllis's, what would turn out to be Phyllis's bedroom uh at their house. We started up there with the very first few episodes, and then we moved to the layer, uh, the lair, which was our hunting place. Right. But then once Dad crossed over, Jason and I got tired of driving out there, and so uh we moved it to Duck Commander, which is much easier for him and I, and it's much better to easier to for the guys to produce as well. But you know, and then I do quite a few episodes from the Southern Lair, which is down in Gulf Shores as well. So uh and you visited Black Mountain Studio. So you've actually the next time you get down here, you will have had three different uh studios that's pretty good, Chris.

Chris Grainger 58:29

There you go. There you go. We're getting around. Wow, man. It's always fun having you. I'd like to do another fun lightning round at the end, just like we always do in the line. And I'm gonna throw a couple at you down through, Willie. I don't see how you guys answered.

Al Robertson 58:41

You know what you're you know what I can just go ahead and give a I I'm not a prophet. Uh I was kind of the son of a prophet, but I can tell you already the word I would use for what's about to happen. You know what the word for it is? What was that? Upgrade. Upgrade. So fire away.

Chris Grainger 58:57

Love it, love it. So if you had to rank the the brothers, you know, on who can blow the best duck call to who who blows the worst, rank them for me, Al.

Al Robertson 59:05

Well, I'm the worst. Uh even Phyllis is better than me. That's how embarrassing. Even my sister can blow a duck call better than me. I'm the absolute worst. I cannot control the the air with the back of my tongue. Right. I can do some of the duck calls, but I can't do the Mallard Hen call, which is the biggest call we make. Uh Jace is number one uh by far. Jeff is number two, Willie's number three, then Phyllis, then me. I don't know how we rank, but that's that's the true ranking. So whatever he told you, that's the thing.

Chris Grainger 59:37

Well, maybe it's a politician in Willie, because here I'm gonna be straight up. So here's how he ranked it. He's like, all right, Jace is number one, and he actually said the rest of us are equal.

Al Robertson 59:48

That was very nice of it. That's very nice of it. Okay, Willie. Well, maybe maybe it's not much of an upgrade. I told you the truth. I I'm the worst. Even Phyllis is better than me. I can blow a Drake call because I have a pretty low voice, and uh the lower your uh bass is, the better your uh mallard Drake call is. Right. And so I I blow a pretty good mallard Drake, I blow a pretty good wood duck call. I got asked recently to blow a call at an event because they all assume I can blow them, but I can't. I'm just not very good. And luckily they had a wood duck call there, and I said, Well, I'll here hand me that one, I can do a wood duck. And so I did it. And and the audience loves it because they love to hear the duck calls, and so uh Jace uses it, and dad did too, in their presentation, but you'll never see me blow them out on call because I can't blow it very well. It's just I it's a physical thing. I can't control it with my tongue.

Chris Grainger 1:00:36

How about how about this one? You know, you work with Jace on Unashamed. How in the world are you gonna start getting your points across with Jace on Unashamed in the future? It's hard to get in there.

Al Robertson 1:00:45

It's never gonna happen. The man is a living rabbit hole. He he lives in them, he goes down them. I as long as Jace and I would that's why I went to the Hillsdale. We added Hillsdale so I could be some form of Jace on that podcast. Or today I've talked 95% of this podcast. So I have my other outlets with Jace, it will never happen. It's just I've just given up on it. I punted. There are several in our audience that have recognized it, great soda. They're just like, would you do would you in Zach just talk more? And I was like, you don't understand how hard it is to get any word in edge-wise with Jace. So, you know, that's how it works. And and the first time you were on was Jay Son, I don't think Jace had been on either.

Chris Grainger 1:01:24

He was there, he was there recording before I went on hang out with him, but yeah, that's right.

Al Robertson 1:01:28

We did an intro with he and dad, but yeah, it was uh I remember that now. And then we did Zach the other day. So you you had you other than listening to it, you know how it is, but it's never gonna happen. I love asking people at events. I said, Do you think Jace is ever gonna run out of stories? And to the person that I've asked that question hundreds of times to listeners, they say, never. Never. Never. They all say the same thing, never. Which one of the what which one of the brothers is the funniest, particularly when cameras aren't rolling? Well, it's it's Willie. Uh Willie? Yeah, I I'm probably I'm probably second uh in there. Jace is funny without trying to be, just kind of because he's weird and that way. Uh and then Jeff is just real shy. But when you get Willie and I together on camera, it's pretty special. Uh, we we were on with Sai on Sadie's, and that's worth a watch. If you manage your audience, I don't know how you find old podcasts, but if you find the one that me, Jason, and Sai were on, uh Sadie's podcast, they're pretty special because Willie and I together, we play each off each other really well. But I think Willie's the funniest just by nature, and uh he knows how to turn it on for the cameras. But I mean, I've been preaching all my life and speaking, so I can turn a phrase pretty good. Amen to that.

Chris Grainger 1:02:40

Last question for you. What's bringing you and Miss Lisa the most joy right now?

Al Robertson 1:02:45

You know, I'd have to say getting to spend time together doing ministry, uh, traveling, uh, traveling with our grandkids. This summer has been the summer of grandkids at the down at the Southern Lair. And it's a lot of work and we get tired, but man, we look at each other and at the end of the day, we realize that God has blessed us so deeply in what we get to do together. And at this season of our life, you know, getting older, starting to have health issues and all the things that happen when you get in your 60s, there's still such an appreciation for what we have. And the movie has come out at just the right time for us because it makes me appreciate every single minute that I get to spend with that woman. And uh, she's very special to me. So that part of our lives is really exciting.

Chris Grainger 1:03:29

Amen. And what so people that are listening out, if they want to watch the movie, or where do you where's the best place to be?

Al Robertson 1:03:35

So if you have Lifetime or the Lifetime app, you can get it at any time because it's you know it's kind of part of their you know on demand. But it even if you don't have that and you don't want to do the trial, some people done the trial because they didn't want to get lifetime.

Kids, Legacy, And Final Takeaways

Al Robertson 1:03:46

I totally understand it. Uh, you can do that, you can get it for a while, but it's easy just to go rent it. And it's only like a dollar, you know, two bucks or whatever. So you can rent it or buy it. Uh, it's worth uh two or three or four dollars, whatever it's cost to do it. If you just want to go to that Amazon Prime or any of those kind of places where you can download it. And then there's so several sites that you just go to um that have it, you know, if you have that site. So uh it's worth it. Faith and it's called Faith and Forgiveness of Duck Dynasty Love Story, but I I think it'll bless you. Uh and I know once you see the story, it'll help you if you especially if you help other people.

Chris Grainger 1:04:23

100%. Can't I can't uh uh advocate for it more, guys. Go out there and listen to it while watch it rather and uh and keep listening to Undershamed Podcast. So, Al, anything else you want to share today, buddy?

Al Robertson 1:04:33

No, love you. Uh appreciate what you're trying to do. Love line within. Uh, you got a you got a good guy here leading you guys. So uh I appreciate you, uh Chris, and everything you got going on. Thank you, Al.

Chris Grainger 1:04:43

Love you, brother, man. Appreciate your time today.

Al Robertson 1:04:45

Thank you, buddy.

Chris Grainger 1:04:48

Guys, I told you I was gonna be a great one. I'm very thankful again for Al for taking the time to come on and share. Go watch the movie Faith and Forgiveness. You're not gonna be disappointed. It's a it's just it's so well done, and hopefully you'll be encouraged by it. Uh, the question of the week this week is a reminder for you guys is what control are you refusing to surrender to God today? And as you think about that, you know, things that you're trying to hold on to, things you're trying to mask, things that you just don't want to let go and let God. Sometimes the best thing you can do is just release that, okay? So hopefully you're encouraged by this conversation. And look, if your marriage didn't turn out the way Al's did, or the way that Joe's did, we talk about Joe Beam a lot in this episode as well. Guys, don't beat yourself up, okay? And sometimes again, it takes all these different pieces of the of the equation to come together. You have to have repentance, you have to have genuine forgiveness, you have to, you know, that that adds up to reconciliation. There's a lot of time that's involved with this. So just because your marriage isn't where you want it to be right now, doesn't mean it can't be healed in the future. Okay. And if your marriage doesn't get healed, but you can still come to a place of forgiveness. That's where me and my ex-wife are. We we we didn't get remarried, but there is forgiveness. I extended that to her, and and we were and we have uh amicably come together to be able to raise our daughters. So there's hope out there, fellas. There's just hope out there. So hopefully you're encouraged by this conversation with Al. If you need support, if you need to talk someone just to talk to, again, the Lion Within Us, guys. We have this platform, thousands of guys are in it at this point. It's just amazing what God is doing with the Lion. And and we give him all the praise, honor, and glory. And we like to have you be part of it as well. So thelionwithin.us is where you get all of our information, guys. You can get the daily SCO, the Lion's Den community, the um the leadership mastermind. I couldn't think over there for a second. The leadership mastermind. Uh, if you want to open up the Bible app, fellas, and just click on uh actually just search for the lion within us on the Bible app, you can connect with us there. So we have all these fun ways and great ways we can connect and engage and hopefully encourage you and your walk. But thelionwithin.us is where you find that. If you're a reader, I'll mention it in the episode here earlier, unleashing the lion within, just go to Amazon, grab a copy of the book. We'd love to see you grab a copy of the book, fellas. And that could be an encouragement to you. Also, is we have it in the audible version as well. So if you don't like to read, if you're not necessarily want to sit down and read with the ebook or a printed copy, hey, if we have the audible version, you can just play let that thing jump in and just play, and hopefully you'll be encouraged along the way, okay? All right, guys. I think that's it for today. Thelionwithin.us. If you want to donate to the show, we would love to have your support. Just go to the lionwithin.us slash donate. Other than that, give us a rating and review, particularly if you're on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, leave the comments. We'd love to engage with you and hear what you think, okay? So, guys, we'll see you next time. We have a fun uh Friday. Member spotlight coming up is going to be our next our next episode. So hopefully you're gonna enjoy that one. I know you will because the member is awesome. And uh, other than that, fellas, look forward to seeing seeing you. If you're like me, you don't need another book just sitting around collecting dust. What I enjoy is something to help guide me when my feet hit the ground in the mornings. Uh-huh. And that is why we put together Unleashing the Lion Within. It has honest stories, scripture you can apply, uh, and simple steps to help you lead at home, at work, and everywhere in between. So if you've been feeling stuck or scattered lately, you may find this resource encouraging. Read a few pages. Take one step and watch what God does with your obedience. Hey, and if reading's tough for you right now, no problem. The book is also available in audible version. So you can listen on the go. So if this sounds interesting, check out thelion within dot us slash book or search for unleashing the lion within directly on Amazon. So there's no pressure here, just a resource that many guys are finding helpful. So grab the format that fits and take your next step.