Pastor Dad

           I'll explain the title at the end. Hehe!            Goodbye 2012. I have no ill feelings. I have no “up yours”. I have no, “boy I’ll miss ya”. No. Just goodbye. I’m positive that I’m getting old. My plan for the evening is to pile up on the couch with my wife and watch TV or maybe go out to eat since we are starting our 21 day fast tomorrow. Either way, today/tonight is not a big party day for us. And I’m not sad about it. I kind of like it!             2013 on the other hand is a big deal for me. New Year, new beginnings, new opportunities, new season of life, new stuff. I, like most others, like new stuff. New tennis shoes are pretty sweet. They smell good, they look good. A new television is tha bomb! Peeling the clear plastic paper off the huge screen is pure joy! Jordan graduates high school and will start college this year. Kelcey is starting her last year of college this year. New stuff!             I usually do some sort of fast for the first 21 days

           Since the world is ending I’m not so sure what all the hoopla is about but there sure is a lot of it. Apparently everything is political, religious, and hateful these days. Nothing is vanilla. Nothing is neutral. No white, eggshell paint in this room we call the world. It’s like screaming red is the way of today. Emotions drive the moment and most people know that when emotions are in control there is no self-control. But in our society when our appetites crave more and more information we tend to overindulge and then react and respond with very little thought or reason. That’s the main reason I haven’t written anything in the past week. There was nothing to write, or say, or think.             What happened in Newtown was awful. It wasn’t political, although we, meaning our country, is and has made it political. It wasn’t religious, although we, meaning our country, is and has made it religious. It wasn’t anything but terrible. It may have been the most horrific nation

           Guess what! They finally pulled the plug on the Buick! Yeah, sent it right on to Buick heaven. I know it went to heaven because I would hate to think that anything that spent that much time with me didn’t know Jesus. And with the boatload of cash (hahahahahaha) that they sent me for the Buick I bought an F-150 truck. Same color as the Buick so the world isn’t completely off kilter just yet!             Guess what else! Today is December 11 th . You know what that means right? 21 Days till a new year is here. Big year ahead for the Bryant household. Kelcey starts the final journey on her Nuke Med degree. Jordan graduates High School and starts college. I have 3, count’em, 3 mission trips that I am already looking at going on. I’ll have another niece in the family. It’s crazy stuff. What do you have going on? Have you thought about all the changes that happened in your life in 2012 and what a year can do? Boy I have!             Would you like some guidance on how to

            Red lights are spinning and flashing, a buzzer is sounding and a computer voice is booming, “Warning! Warning! A statement that could be considered religious is about to commence!”             We’ll give you time to leave the room before we begin. Wouldn’t want anyone offended now would we? Look around. Is it safe? Everyone gone that’s going? Ok then let’s begin!             I love how stories in the bible sometimes get fancied up for the Sunday morning crowd. I really don’t but I’m trying to keep this thing positive. We talk about how Job (in a thundering southern Baptist preacher voice) “was blessed twice as much in the latter as he was in the former!” We speak of David anointed as a boy, slaying Goliath then ascending to the throne of the king. Oh and what about “Father Abraham” he had many sons. Many sons had Father Abraham. You remember how God sent the angel to save his son and sent a ram up the other side of the mountain to take his place. Are there days wh

           I pray that all 3 of you that read my blog had an awesome Thanksgiving. I was a living example of what grazing looks like. And I kinda feel like a cow these days so it fits. Thanksgiving is really my favorite holiday. Food and family. No worrying about gifts and travel and shopping and all that stuff. Of course I’m excluding black-Friday shopping in my favorite memories. This year was especially great because my parents invited Tammy’s parents to eat with all of us. So we only had one house to go to and all the family was there. I don’t think I left the table for about 2 hours. Most of that time was listening and telling stories and laughing and remembering. Yes, food and lots of it but if mom hadn’t had a turkey and we would have eaten cold sandwiches it still would have been incredible.             An update on the Buick… When we last left her, she was in ICU at Butlers Wrecker Service. She has since been moved to a transitional care unit (Foster’s Auto Body) to det

        It's almost Thanksgiving day and I'm sure that I won't have time to write on my blog over the weekend. With that said I wanted to say thanks to a group that would still be working while I'm feasting with my family. Still be answering calls while I'm watching football. I call many of them friends. I pray for all of them. And a select few, I consider my closest friends like family.         Every year in the United States, one day is set aside to remember all of those in Law Enforcement that have died in the line of duty. This day is also observed in Blount County. In May of 2010 I had the absolute priviledge of speaking at our service. The following is the transcript of my speech.          " I am humbled and honored to be speaking here today. There are very few positions in life that I respect as much as I do law enforcement. And speaking today will rank as one of the most difficult messages/talks/speeches whatever it is, that I have ever done. While I

            So the season began. Tough loss. Long day. It was cold when we left the gym around 9:25pm. Tammy and I walking together to our separate cars. I got to mine first. The Buick. I was so glad that the frost hadn’t settled yet because the defroster in the Buick doesn’t defrost so well. I started my car and drove around to where Tammy was getting in her car. I was going to call her and talk to her on the way home since we hadn’t really talked. We usually don’t get to on days when Jordan plays at Heritage. But my phone was dead so I just waited to make sure she got on her way safely. Lights on and exhaust coming out of the muffler so I drove on, passed Jordan getting in his Jeep and starting it. Pulled out on Highway 321 and was headed home. Thinking about the game, thinking about the next day at work, thinking about the fact that it was cold. As I crossed the bridge before Lem’s Corner I checked my mirror to see if Tammy was coming. No headlights meant she had probably stoppe

            It was a very hot August afternoon in 2007 the last time this happened. My dad and I had met at the golf course and were getting ready to go out. No silly, not to play, to watch Kelcey begin her last year in high school athletics. A tradition that Kelcey, my dad, and I shared for 7 lightning quick years. Dad and I would follow her around watching her play, living and dying on every swing with her. There were days when she was hitting it well and I would want soooo bad to shout to the mountaintops for everyone to watch (but the golf course people frowned on that so I don’t do that anymore) because she was happy and confident. She would look over where dad and I were and flash a smile and we knew it was a good day. As she got older the flashes turned into full fledged grins and on occasion a flexing of her muscles toward us to let us know she hit that one goooood. And of course there were other days when she wasn’t swinging good and the sparkle in her eye wasn’t there and

On Tuesday of this past week our country elected a leader who repeatedly has refused to protect the unborn and has openly, boldly even, declared that God doesn't know what is best in marriage. No matter how you voted, this much is true. And so those who voted for the other guy or another guy came out in earnest. We can discuss how that came about later...  So now what? As a Christ follower what should my response be? How should we act towards those who don't share our beliefs or our morals? Anytime there are questions, especially sensitive, emotional questions the best way to answer is in scripture. Always. But before I answer those questions I would like to make an observation. You cannot affect morality through legislation. Rather, you should affect legislation through morality.  And with that in mind I'll give my opinion on what the answers to the questions should be. 2 Chronicles  7:14 . I know, I know. You have heard this all your life. I understand that but I

           Remember a couple of days ago I said we were hosting a Hell House at our church and the candy trail and all that? Well, the best is over the worst is to come. The best being that over 100 kids each night went through the candy trail with 25 or so volunteers making that possible. There was candy and games and candy and inflatables and candy and lots of fun. The best being that over 100 adults and big kids each night went through the Hell House with 50 or so volunteers making that possible. The best being that 12 people made decisions for Christ over the two nights. The best being, whew, it’s over.             The worst you ask? Clean up! See, all this was inside of our church. The weather had been predicted to be much worse so we moved everything inside. Clean up. What ya doin on a cold Thursday? Chances are someone will be cleaning here and we always like working volunteers J             And another reason it is Terrific Thursday is this. Tammy has agreed to do the

           What happens at the church on Halloween Eve? While other churches pull out all the stops for Christmas; here we are at RIO 180 on Halloween getting ready for one of, if not THE, biggest event of the year.             I know that people disagree and spend countless words and Facebook posts complaining about churches and church people “celebrating” Halloween and I don’t want anyone to think I am trying to pick a fight. I believe we can disagree without being disagreeable. I don’t know much but here is what I do in regards to our Candy Trail and Hell House.             This is a safe place for parents to bring their kids or send their teenagers. As the kiddos start the Candy Trail they will be walked through the life of Joseph complete with seeing the pit he was thrown into, Potiphar’s house (minus his seductive wife), and the prison where he interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams. Oh, and they will get candy at each place. Prison candy! Haha! Then, this is cool, then they will

            I have sat down to write many many times since I last published a blog. Either my mind was scattered or my calendar was. So, after I was interrupted by my schedule and my brain yesterday I made a decision that the first thing I would do today was write. So I did. And this is what came out…             Have you ever profiled someone? I’m sure you have or you wouldn’t really be human. I don’t mean that you’re a bad person but in a moment you may have looked at someone and in your mind said, “I’ll bet she is ___________.”             We are funny that way. Society tries to dictate to us what people are supposed to say or become simply because of a characteristic. For example, wealthy people are smart, poor people are dumb, white people are racist, black people are lazy, church people are hypocrites, young people are rebellious, old people are grumpy, pregnant teenagers are sluts, police officers are arrogant, preachers only care about money, and, well you get the pic