Pastor Dad

           What started out to be a fine morning, well, as well as could be expected, has taken an unexpected turn. Here is why. I read my bible and the news every morning. Sometimes while reading the news on Fox I get sidetracked and read some crazy stuff. This was the case this morning.             This morning I clicked on an article, “9 Signs You Might Be Depressed”. Now I get very upset and frustrated sometimes; but not depressed! Here are the signs according to healthcommunities.com: Depressed Mood – I don’t have this one. 0 for 1. Yay! Diminished Interest in Activities – I used to enjoy basketball 4 days a week and golf once a week, at least. I only play once a month now. I thought it was because I was busy and tried to spend more time with my family. Ok, 1 out of 2. Still ok! Unexpected Weight Loss or Gain – I went to Panama then came back; it’s to be expected right? But, facts are facts and this is science, so, 2 out of 3. A littl

I was in Panama last week. No, not the Panama that is being introduced to Hurricane Isaac this week but the country of Panama. It was incredible as usual. Quick summary, then I want to share something specific. 6 plane rides 2- 4 bus/van rides per day (on one trip the brakes actually caught on fire, fuego) 2 – 3 hour boat rides (one of them in a rain storm) One marriage/family conference taught Mass wedding for 50 or so couples Slept in an open air church on a 2’x12’ wooden board (I’m just glad I fit) Baptized dozens of people Preached Jesus in 4 prisons 1600 people heard the Gospel and conservatively, 660 of them made decisions to follow Christ Over 80 bug/chigger/flea/or something bites on my body (my uncle had that on one leg below his knee)             There is so much good stuff and tough stuff that happened that I could never finish it in a blog or a one time sitting. But there is something about mission work that has always caught my attentio

I'm positive there won't be Internet connection every day but when there is Im gonna try to post something. The team left the hotel this morning at 5:30 but some of us are having to getting to depending on how you look at it wait till 9. We are on Central time.  The plan today is to fly to the city of David, pronounced Daveed, not Bethlehem. From there a bus ride to Chirique Grande and then it looks like an extended boat ride to somewhere else. Now when the Panamanians say "extended" that's a bit worrisome.but we will go where we are supposed to and do what we are supposed to because we know we are supposed to.  Excited about the group here and what God is going to do. Big plans and big God make for great things. Actually, big God, makes for great things. Sometimes he let's us use our plans. Here are some of the things that have been talked about for the week. Mass wedding in one of the outlying villages. Marriage conference with the newlyweds Const

          She is just 13 years old. She is short and wide. She has some scars on her body that show the pain of the past. This past week I thought we had lost her but she just keeps fighting! Most people have told me to just give up on her and start another project that she’s just not worth the time and money. When my wife gets around her she just feels sorry for me because she doesn’t see the potential that I see in her. My kids usually make fun of her but then so do other kids. She sits outside my house in the mornings usually wet with dew.             Who is she, you ask? My 1999 Buick Regal (had ya going there for a minute, didn't I). 165,000 miles. Leather seats. Used to have power windows (haha). When 3 window motors when out I asked Rob (mechanic extraordinaire) to just fix them up so they wouldn’t roll down. Well, last week the driver side window motor went out, while it was down (why don’t they ever stop working when the window is up), and the rain it was a comin! I

             I want to warn everyone, yes, everyone, that this has the potential to be a very offensive post. I would like to provide full disclosure. I am a preacher/pastor of a Christian church. The views and opinions expressed here are of a man attempting to live his life as a man described in the Bible. This post is religious in nature and is written out of the mind of a radical. I have a wife, two children, a very large dog, and a fish. I have only had one wife and two children but I have had many dogs and fish. Actually, now that I think about it, there was a time when I had no wife, one wife, no children, one child, and now two children (remember, full disclosure)!             So, if you are looking to be offended, you came to the right place. Not because I want to offend but because there are people who just sit around waiting to be offended. People that have nothing better to do than wait for a bible believing Christian to speak about love and tolerance so they can accu

            A quick update on the jury duty thing… they said for me not to show up today but I can call later today and see if I’m needed tomorrow. I was a little bummed last night but have recovered and have already polished my two speeches just in case I am brought in tomorrow J             On to bigger and better things. I’m not exactly what’s going on in my brain but I have been stuck on the politics of the day and recent weeks. Today is no different as I listen and read about our two presidential choices that we will have in a few short months. I know who I’m voting for but I don’t know exactly why. I hate the “vote for the lesser evil” choice but we only have two to choose from. I heard someone say recently that they didn’t like either candidate but they were choosing a cold over the flu. That sounds pretty appropriate.             But on today’s agenda is something very plain. Very simple. Something that we all want in a candidate but we never demand it. We demand it fro

             I will be calling today to see if I get to sit on the jury. Yes, I said that I GET to instead of HAVE to. I don’t mind. We are all really nosy anyway. Oh, you’re not one of those? Do you have a Facebook? Twitter? Yeah, you really are, sorry!             And, I have a plan. If it seems really boring or something that I’m not very interested in then this will be my story…             “I am Pastor Brad Bryant from the RIO Network of Churches (that may do it but just in case it doesn’t). I am a bible believing Christian that supports gun rights, Jesus, and the death penalty. I serve as a Chaplain with the PO-PO and think all of those guys and girls serving are just great, great people, and would never make a mistake but if they did then God is probably just bringing judgement upon the guilty as a punishment for some hidden sin. And, could we hurry this along, I had biscuits and gravy for breakfast and feel a mighty case of diarrhea beginning to rumble in the lower sect