Tour update!

Tour has been going really well, we have the day off in Nashville today. The weather is incredibly cold and we have seen a lot of snow lately. The most important thing is we have been seeing people coming to know Christ. We have been seeing 5-7 people per night making that decision.

The tour will finish on December 22nd around Tampa, Florida and I will fly home on the 23rd to spend Christmas with my family. We have been blessed on this trip to be traveling in a 40 foot class A RV, instead of a 12 passenger van. It makes long drives almost enjoyable. Because you can get up and use the restroom if need be, fix a sandwich or sit and watch a movie on the 32 inch LCD TV all while sitting on comfy leather couches. It is even being driven for us by Mike Smith's dad. Mike is filling in for Greg the normal drummer for Among the Thirsty after Greg broke his wrist.

God is doing so many amazing things and allowing me to have some unbelievable conversations about future opportunities. I am hoping to be able to share some of those soon. I hope where ever you are you are staying warm. Do something for someone who may not have that luxury.

Me and Marie, met a lady the other day at Bojangles while in North Carolina. Her name was Penny and she had a large camping backpack. Marie wanted to give her a gift card to Bojangles as a gift, so we did, then entered into a conversation to realize she was homeless and it was her birthday. We spent the rest of the afternoon calling and finding places for Penny to stay. And went and got her a birthday present well more of a stocking filled with necessities. It would have been so much easier for us to go on about what we had planned that day. But as you and I strive to be more like Christ, he begins to show us his heart. And caring for the forgotten. I don't share that at all to say look at us, and what we did. We felt honored to be used by God. But I share that to challenge you to look around you. Look for the things that God places right before to help those in need. We are all so blessed, so let's bless others this Christmas Season.

New Season!

So it is the Holiday Season and for me it is a new season as well. If you have not heard I am residing back in Chattanooga for the time being, and back out traveling and speaking full time. In the past few weeks I have been speaking at different weekend events in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee.

At the moment I am sitting in sunny Florida which is weird the end of November and it is in the 70's. But I am getting ready for a Christmas Tour with some good friends Among the Thirsty. I did this tour with them in 2007 but have not had the opportunity to do so since. So I am really excited to be out with those guys sharing the most amazing story ever told. The birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ. if it is coming anywhere near you make sure to come out and check it out. And make sure to bring a friend that needs to hear it. I am going to be updating this a lot more frequently and sharing what God is doing, and allowing me to be apart of.

Everyday I am realizing as I spend more time with god how incredibly broken and sinful I am and how much more I need him than I thought I did. I have spent the past 6 weeks reading his word, meeting with and just being open with one another. It has been an amazing time of beginning to understand God's love.

I had the opportunity to record a DVD titled "Stuff" check it out, it will be on DVD soon. It is just full of some things God has been teaching me. http://vimeo.com/17167539

God Bless,

Bryant

New Year, New Perspective!

Well 09 has come and gone, and what a great year it was. I met so many amazing people across the U.S. and several countries, who all have such a passion for God and for making his Kingdom known. But as the new year arrived, I began to realize that my passion had shifted to ministry, and not my relationship with God. I am not saying I was wallering in sin, or anything like that. But my focus had shifted more to success then my character. More of how much I traveled, then how much time I spent in prayer. I had over 2 weeks off for the holidays, and spent that time doing little of nothing but being quite and allowing God to speak to me. So often we try to tell God, what he needs to do, when really we should just shut up and allow him to speak life into us.

I am excited, that I have a new passion for His Word, that I am beginning to feel a closeness, the urgings of his spirit. In 2010, my new year's resolution is I want to be a better lover of God, I want to be a man of Godly character. I don't want to be spoken of, for what I do, my job, but my passion and love for God.

Looking in the mirror is hard, because a lot of the times we don't like what is looking back at us. But I think it is time that we all quit fooling ourselves, and just admit that we are all incredibly broken and need the Saviour. We all need to experience a deeper level of his love.

Life is like a box of ...

Guatemala was so beautiful, we stayed in Antigua which is surrounded by 4 volcanoes. That is going to be a great location for groups to serve at this summer. Amongst the beauty is extreme poverty, I was able to visit several villages where they had not had water in 15 days, and were living in small 1 room sheds made of tin. We are going to be able to provide them with clean water, and new solid houses.

Last weekend was the High School retreat and the students really grasped what it mean to be Fearless and to chase their dreams, and their enemies.

I get to go home this weekend to Chattanooga for the first time in a couple of months, so I am excited to see everyone. An old friend Danny Williams and his Wife and 2 children are also in town, so it will be so great to catch up with him and what amazing things God has been doing in their lives.

Then Sunday night I am going to catch some more old friends, the guys in the band After Edmund in Boaz, Alabama. They are on tour with Lecrae should be a lot of fun. If you have not checked these guys out then you are missing out. Afteredmund.com

Time to Catch Up!!

I know it has been 3 months since my last blog, and obviously I can't recall what all has happened in that time, but for now here are some highlights.

I have been to Jamaica twice, Costa Rica, Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Haiti and Puerto Rico.  I finally decided it was time that I open up a Delta Sky Miles account so I did so, and just reached 50,000 miles so far.  

I have been speaking at several retreats on the weekends lately while gearing up for the summer of 2010 at TEAMeffort.  In the upcoming month, I will be going to L.A. for a fun trip that includes a LA Lakers game, Dodgers game, and a trip to the Price is Right, which I am incredibly excited about.  I also have some upcoming trips to the Navajo Reservation and a new camp on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana.  A trip to Guatemala and the Nu Nation High school retreat will finish out October.  

Me and 2 other guys moved into a new and improved house in Gainesville, which I am enjoying greatly.  I have room to house guests and visitors now which is nice if any of you want to come visit.  My folks will be visiting this coming weekend  so that is always to be a good time.  I hope to do better with this, now that the summer has ended and things should start to get back into some sort of normal routine.

Jamaica and Kidney Stones!!

I have been in Jamaica since Saturday, I am here leading a trip with a group from Cornelia, Georgia.  Unfortunately, I have been a little under the weather, I have been hurting for several weeks but it finally got to the point I was unable to do anything.  So I went to the Dr. here in Jamaica, which was an adventure in itself.  Come to find out I have Kidney Stones, the first time I have ever had them.  Not to fun.  

So Clark and Josh are helping a ton, being that most of the time, I am unable to move.  We will be leaving Saturday to fly back to Atlanta, and it will be my first days off in about 6 weeks, before flying to the Bahamas.  I am going to have to get some test ran, and see what can be done so I can be back in full swing.  Please keep me in your prayers.   

Arizona!!

I landed in Arizona around 3a.m. eastern time on Friday morning.  I am on my way out to the reservation, and stopped in Camp Verde, Arizona to check some last minute emails and make some phone calls.  It is so drastically different out here. I had almost forgotten how hot it gets too, it got up to 99 yesterday and people were talking about it being chilly, and the water in their pools is to cold to swim in.  The scenery is breathtaking, I am going to drive through Sedona, on my way to the reservation.  Sedona is home of the red rocks, it is pretty amazing.  Tomorrow Casey Whitaker flies out so I will be going back to Phoenix to pick him up.  

Just finished reading Andy Stanley's book The Principle of the Path.  It was a good read and reminder that direction determines destination.  

I have been reading a lot from scriptures lately about Peace and Patience, because God is really trying to teach me those two really hard to grasp concepts.  

Off to Reservation, hope to have some great stories of amazing people I meet and seeing God move.