Pastor Dad

            I don’t guess 22 years meant the same to her as it did me. Tammy left this morning. Not the best way to start a Friday. She left the house, her new car, the dog, and her clothes and only packed a small bag.             I’ve been wrestling with it all morning. I’m sorry to put this in a blog but honestly it’s the best way for me to get this off my chest. I don’t understand. I mean I’m not perfect but, sheesh, just to leave.             Is it that I’ve gained 50lbs since we met? I kept it off until my knee went and then so did my pink panther-like figure. But I’ve worked hard since then and kept steady till a couple of weeks ago when I hurt it again. I can try harder.             Is it that I’m losing my hair? I mean my hairline is retreating like the British during the revolutionary war but, come on, really. I did change my hairstyle a few years ago. I should get credit for that, right? It is one more time than most men change hair styles. Gone is the car salesman/mob

            We met sometime in 1990. We worked together; side by side. We golfed together, played basketball and softball together. I was in his wedding. My daughter thought he was the coolest person on the planet. He was a world-class clogger. I know, I didn’t realize there was such a thing either until I met him. We had so much in common and yet we were pretty different. He is a Duke fan, but I still love him.             Our friendship was solid. We actually had a lot of the same characteristics. I never knew how solid the friendship was until years later. We didn’t work together anymore. We didn’t talk. Not because of anything specific, we just lost touch. I had just come through a personal hell of my own and was putting the pieces back together when he called.             You will never know the value of a friendship till you need it. He thought he needed me but I needed him more. I was working at Panasonic when I got a phone call from this old friend. He started off the conv

My favorite subjects to talk about and write about outside of Jesus things are marriage and family. I’m always looking for information and reading books on the subject just to be better informed and to hear others opinions. While I don’t agree with a lot that I read, especially if it is meant to be humorous, I do enjoy the laughs provided by people with jaded views on marriage. Below is someone’s attempt at describing the differences in the way we speak when we are dating verses when we get married. Dating – You take my breath away Married – I feel like I’m suffocating Dating – She says she loves the way I take control of a situation Married – She called me a controlling, manipulative egomaniac Dating – Don’t stop Married – Don’t start Dating – Is that all you’re having? Married – Maybe you should have just a salad, Dear. Dating - $60/doz Married - $1.50/stem Dating – We agree on everything Married – Doesn’t she have a mind of her own Dating – V

Warning: Strong opinions backed up with fact to follow. The author is not responsible for the rash of emotions that you may incur. So, enjoy J                         My Monday started off great. Slight Advil PM Hangover but moving rather fine anyway. Jade (Great Dane, spoiled rotten, lazy, pain-in-my-butt, please don’t leave me partner) was in a surprisingly good mood and didn’t give any trouble this morning. Kelcey has finals this week so she is in the OMG ITS FINALS/YES LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL mode. Jordan is Jordan. Not too high, not too low just show me the food, basketball and girlfriend (the order means nothing, I think even his girlfriend knows it’s a given that she’s in the top three and that pretty good considering). Tammy was getting ready, found all the clothes and shoes she wanted on first look so it was pretty peaceful. Remind me to write someday about what happens when she doesn’t. SCARY, I tell ya!             Anyway, while getting ready I heard the story about Trayv

            When Jordan was in 6 th grade I was watching him play basketball for his school. I was getting increasingly frustrated with his effort and the results that came about because of his effort. As I sat in the bleachers, a lady that was sitting just a few seats away was staring my way. Now understand that I have tried not to embarrass my kids in public. Doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened but that isn’t how I try to do things. And this day was no different. I wasn't giving any indication that I was steamed. Anyway, this lady seems to be staring at me and I know better than anyone that there are a number of things better to stare at than me (the game perhaps). So I look her way and she asked me a question. “You’re Jordan Bryant’s dad, aren’t you?” I’m thinking, “Finally”, someone else sees this atrocity taking place on the court. So I say reluctantly, “Yes ma’am” and await her opinion of the absolutely terrifying act that we are having to watch. “I work at the school and I

Most people know that the word, “Christian”, actually means, “Christ-like”. And if you didn’t then you learned something within the first sentence. You win! But if you did then you probably already know where this is heading. Quick test – The people that are around you that aren’t believers (people that make no argument against the fact that they aren’t Christians)…Are you thinking of them? Have you got their faces in your mind? What do you think they think of you? No, don’t quit reading just yet, please! What do they think of you?             Here is the way this usually goes. “Well we don’t believe the same so we don’t get along.” Or, “I don’t talk to them because the bible says that I’m supposed to be separated from them.” Or, my all time fav, “The Spirit of God is so strong on me that they won’t even come around me because of conviction!”             That last one you have to kinda use your preacher voice or it loses effect. Go ahead; try reading it again with your best Sout

I’m not sure if you’ve heard or not but rumor has it that Peyton Manning has left the Colts and is looking for another team. Crazy, huh? I know! With this new news I thought it would be good to look at the teams out there and find him the best fit. And since us here at the headquarters for rational thought and honesty are all about what’s right, we feel it our duty to find the best fit for Peyton and the new team. So, without wasting any more precious print space here we go… Let’s just look at the teams that expressed interest early on and make our way down to the “right now” contenders. Early rumors were that the Jets, Chiefs, Dolphins, Cardinals, Broncos, Seahawks and Bills were those that really stood a chance and were actually interested. Let’s look team by team. Seahawks – maybe if Coach Pete would hire Lane to recruit they may have had a shot but he didn’t and it’s cold and rainy in Seattle. And, besides, if you’re able to work Lane Kiffin into the conversation, no go

This is something I wrote on March 25, 2008. I think it's worth publishing again… What changes our lives? If you watch much TV or read many printed advertisements everything claims to. People, places, pills, and parks will all, “change your life”. Everything clamors for our attention and all seem to have our best interest in mind when, in fact, very few are actually thinking beyond your dollar. I think of this because I did a funeral today of a man that I have known only since January 29 th of this year. Here is his story, it’s a little longer than usual but worth it when you have time:             I received information from a friend at my church that one of his peers in his karate class’s dad was sick in the hospital and he wanted me to pray for him. I told him of course but I would do one better and go visit if his friend would send me the information. She sent me the info via email and at the bottom she put, “ He's 60 years old (61 in March), mean, ornary, and t

Facebook is hilarious but I want to make a few suggestions that might make it even more fun. Here are just a few suggestions if any of you know the founder guy… Of course more buttons and of course my suggestions ·         The “I think this is stupid” button. (“Brad Bryant thinks this is stupid”) ·         The “You’re a moron button”. No more poking and sending messages. Just go to their profile and click “Moron” button. ·         The “Facebook freeze” button. Where you click it and their account freezes for 8 hours. Kind of like freeze-tag for Facebook. Yes, I know, you already have someone in mind for this one. I think you should have to confirm when someone wants to de-friend you just like when they send you a friend request. I recently, apparently, had this happen to me. I went to send a “friend” a message and while looking through my friends list found out that I wasn’t their fwend anymore. See, you could put buttons on the de-friend request. Brad Bryant would no lo

I have a great idea. Not just an ordinary lets mix it up and get unsweet tea today idea but a colossal idea. This is huge and I am going to be so wealthy that the U.S. Government is going to have to ask me for money (wait, that already happens so maybe I need to… never mind)! Hear me out before you shoot me down. I love the fact that Maryville has a new movie theatre. I mean really excited that I don’t have to go to Turkey Creek for a great movie experience. Buuuuuuut the question remains what to do with the old theatre. Here is where I am brilliant. Let’s buy it and turn it into a building for churches. There it is. The proverbial cat is out of the bag. Yes, this can work. There are already office buildings in Knoxville and other cities that advertise that you can have your own office space and they will staff it for you. We do that for churches. And let’s face it, we have a lot of churches in Blount County and many more starting each month (I know, my church is part of this,

Ok, everybody now, in your best Michael Buffer voice, “ Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the main event (boxing bell rings and drums and trumpets start). Let’s get ready to rumblllllllllllle!”                           I’m a bit peeved this morning and I must share. I was at the gym this morning (stop laughing). See, my son and I have been getting up at 5:30, 4 days a week to work out before school. Sometimes we go to the school and shoot and sometimes we go to the gym and do cardio. It’s early for me, I know not for some of you, but it is for me. So maybe I was in a bad mood already and just took this commercial wrong on the TV. It was from a local orthodontist whom I have patronized for one of my children. I am going to quote the commercial and then rant for a few paragraphs before retreating to take on the day. I know it’s a sales pitch but considering what I have been teaching and preaching for most of my life as a minister it just struck a tired, sleep deprived, impatient tow