Category: Writing

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We Don’t Call It Camping… Where I’m From

Have you ever been camping?

Are you kidding me…

I’m a Gen X kid.

We didn’t call it camping…
that’s what city folks say…
when they do it once in a while.

We called it…

the weekend.

…and sometimes in the summer—
it was just life.

…

Growing up in Georgia…

I didn’t have to go anywhere—

to find it.

I lived on the edge of thick… deep woods…
the kind full of things
that could hurt you.

We weren’t scared…

didn’t matter—

we were in there anyway.

Kids… by ourselves…
no parents…
just dirt… trees… and whatever moved in the shadows.

…

Then there were the weekends…

My friend Chris—
his folks had land on Lake Oconee.

Man… we lived out there.

Tents…
or just sleeping by the fire…

Fishing… boating… skiing… swimming…

Great times.

…

And when I wasn’t there…

I was with my dad… and my uncle…
heading up into the north Georgia mountains…
along the Tallulah River.

We’d drive about 15 miles down a narrow gravel road…
till we hit the river crossing.

Then we’d drive straight through it.

Clear water…
ice cold… even in summer…

on the other side—
was nothing.

No people.

Just us…
and whatever else was out there.

Bears…
Bigfoots…
timber rattlesnakes…

just the locals.

…

We’d set camp right on the water…

Fish all day.

Rainbow… brown…
beautiful native brook trout…

Trout for breakfast—
fish… grits… eggs…

Lunch—
fish sandwich… chips…

Supper—
we went all out…

Grilled or fried fish…
vegetable kabobs…
baked potatoes in the fire…
salad…

We ate like kings out there.

…

I’ve caught so many fish in that river…
I couldn’t even guess the number.

Been going since I was about 7…

I’m 52 now.

Haven’t been in a few years…

Life gets busy…

…but that place is down in me.

…

Some summers…

the riverbanks would glow red—

tiny garnets everywhere.

We’d sift through them…
looking for the bigger ones…

We’d also look for gold…
found some too.

I remember once…
I had a handful of decent-size wild garnets and gold… glistening in my palm

but that place for me—
is more valuable than anything I can hold.

…

Then came Florida…

Lived there for 12 years.

Different world—
same soul.

Many freshwater fishing trips inland…
spent much time at many of the different springs…

…but also the coast…

I lived on Anna Maria Island…

Had a sea kayak.

Weekends…
I’d load up my truck…
drive to Bishop Harbor…

Drop in…

Paddle 45 minutes out
to these tiny… remote islands.

Set up camp.

…

Mornings—
I’d paddle and fish…

Afternoons—
back to camp…
eat… rest… chillax…

Evenings—
back out till dark…

Then nights…

just me…

the fire…
the water…
the sounds…
the wildlife…

Alone…

but not really.

…

Down there…

we call it…

Salt Life.

Had the sticker on my truck and everything.

…

So yeah man…

I’ve been what yall call camping
a few times 😁

…

All jokes aside…

I’m about that life.

It’s in me…

just like music.

…

…

been singing this in my head and on guitar all day…

Me and my buddy Jonathan… fishing in Florida

Jon and I were fishing when 3 huge wild boars walked behind us

My friend Jimmy holdin’ my fish… this is my pb 9.3 lbs… caught at Lake Istokpoga FL… Feb 2o14
Supper one evening on the remote island

…

Romans 1:20

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

© 2026 bryanforchrist. All rights reserved.

`’.,°~

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Too Aware to Play Along

Describe something you learned in high school.

There are a lot of people I know
who say high school was a waste of time…

—and I get it.

For some…
especially artists and musicians…
it never felt like a place
that knew what to do
with a fire inside—

more about obedience…
than imagination…

But for me—
it was different.

Those four years gave me something real…

I had free chorus… music classes…
adding even more
to the years I already lived in—

that’s where it happened—
I discovered my love
for writing…
for literature.

English—
that was probably my favorite…

History came close—
science right behind it…

Math…?

I could do it… sure—
but I never felt it.

I understood it—
just never connected to it.

Sports gave me another kind of education—
one built on sweat…
pressure…
timing…
and skill you had to prove…

The social side though…
I could’ve done without that.

It was the usual divide…
the cool kids…
then everyone else…

—and me…

somewhere in between…
too aware to play along—

But the teachers—
they mattered.

I had real connections there…

My building construction teacher…
he was one of the guys…

Sometimes we’d sneak behind the shed—
smoke a cigarette…
talk about life…

Other days—
we’d all jump him…
wrestle him to the ground…
leave him covered in dirt…
shirt torn up…

He’d walk into the teacher’s lounge
looking like he survived a tornado…

trying to explain what happened…

Man… we loved that guy.

But my English teacher—

she changed everything.

She introduced me to Julius Caesar…
my first taste of Shakespeare…

Lighting a path to more great literature…

And then there was music class—

where I learned something
I still tote today…

The power… of the rest.

Silence—

In music…
what isn’t played…
can speak louder
than what is.

Same with writing… 😎

So yeah…

I gained a lot from that place.

Funny thing—

earlier today…
before I even saw this prompt…

I was listening to the John Mayer Trio…
reading interviews with John…

—and in one of them he said…

“I knew school never did anything for me…
it never made sense…
I knew at 13 what I wanted—
to be a musician.”

And yeah…
I get that too.

But thinking about it…

…

school did do something for him.

…

it showed him
what he refused to let go of.

…

…

And that’s the lesson— 😎

…

…

They love to tell you
Stay inside the lines.

But something’s better
On the other side.

© 2026 Bryan Loia Hudson. All rights reserved.

`’.,°~

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My Love for Scripture… Where I Really Live

My Identity in Christ… ✝️

So I love reading…
as many of you do…

My one constant read—
is the Bible.

Then I usually have another book going at the same time…
but Scripture… that’s been with me almost 45 years now…
since I was a kid.

I love the theology of it…
the depth…
the layers…

Hermeneutics—
that’s really my thing with it.

Breaking it down…
understanding what it actually says…
not just what it sounds like.

Honestly though…

You can read and know things all day long—
but if you don’t apply what you’ve learned…

then what do you really have 🤷‍♂️
like… what did you gain…?

…

I’ve got other platforms where that’s all I do—
strictly Christian content…
just digging into Scripture… piece by piece…

But this blog—

This is different.

This is where I write about my life…
my past…
things I’m dealing with…
things I’m learning…

It’s an outlet.

A place where I don’t have to perform…
don’t have to impress anyone…

I just get to be me.

So… just because yall don’t see that other side of me much…
I figured I’d share a little of it here.

Some recent thoughts…
from my other platforms…

……………………………………………

📖 Romans 13:14
“But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh…”

📖 Galatians 3:27
“For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

I love these two…

Because that phrase—“put on”—

In the Greek… it’s ENDUO.

And it literally means…

To clothe yourself…
to wear…
like a garment.

So when Paul says “put on Christ”…

He’s not talking about casual belief.

He’s saying—

Wear Him…
Be covered in Him…
Let Him be what people see when they look at you…

Like putting on a coat—
except it’s identity…
not fabric…

Visible identity.

That’s powerful.

Super cool stuff 🙌 ✝️

……………………………………………

📖 Ephesians 2:10
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works…”

This one’s great…

That word “workmanship”—

In the Greek… it’s POIEMA.

Yeah…

Like we are God’s work… His Poem

Which means—

You’re not random…
not an accident…
not just out here trying to figure it all out…

You’re crafted.

Intentional

Spoken into existence with meaning…

Not mass produced—
handmade…

By God.

Prepared beforehand…
for something good…

So yeah—

You’re not just surviving this life…

You’re His poema.

And that’s a whole different way to see yourself… 🤷‍♂️✝️❤️‍🔥🙌

…

Thank you all for being here… seriously…
Yall are a blessing.
May God bless you…
and keep you…
always.

…

© 2026 bryanforchrist. All rights reserved.

`’.,°~

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Hidden Gems from the B-Side — Flyleaf (Week 20)

Fully Alive 🎶 All Around Me

Happy blessed Sunday yall…

I’m sticking with Flyleaf a little longer.

These next two — “Fully Alive” 🎶  “All Around Me” 🎶 — (acoustic versions)

are both from their debut self-titled album
Flyleaf (2005)…
and man… that record was something special.
Made fans out of a whole lot of people… me included.

Somewhere along the way I drifted from Lacey Sturm for a bit…
but about a year ago, I found my way back —
right around the time I started my YouTube channel “bryanforchrist.”

All I do over there is make Christian music shorts —
so if you’re ever bored one day… come check me out.
I’ve got a few Flyleaf ones up there too 🎶

And quick tip — on all my shorts, you can get to the full song:
tap the little thumbnail in the bottom right…
then when it redirects, go up top left and tap the larger thumbnail —
that’ll play the whole track.
It can look a little tricky at first… but once you see it, you got it.

Now as much as I love Flyleaf…
I’ve never actually performed any of their songs myself 🎤

That’s about to change.

I think this week… I’m gonna learn “Circle” 🎶
(from their second album Memento Mori — 2009)…
it’s probably my favorite from them… hard to choose though

So again… thank y’all for listening… for reading…
I appreciate you — and I’m always thinking of you 🙏

Have a blessed day…

Romans 3:23
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

© 2026 bryanforchrist. All rights reserved.

`’.,°~

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Gee Wiz…

When you were five, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I don’t want to grow up… I’m a Toys R Us kid… they got the best… for so much less… you’ll really flip your lid… from bikes to trains to video games… it’s the greatest toy store there is… gee wiz… I don’t want to grow up… cuz baby… if did? I wouldn’t be a Toys R Us kid… 🤷‍♂️

© 2026 Bryan Loia Hudson. All rights reserved.

`’.,°~

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Miles, Music, and a Few Tricks Along the Way

What’s a secret skill or ability you have or wish you had…?

I’ve done a lot… I love a lot.

Sports… fishing… music… writing…
working out pretty religiously these days…
and I’ve always loved driving… oh… I’m a people and animal whisperer too…

I drove 18-wheelers all across the U.S. for 17 years… professionally.
Spent time training student drivers with FedEx Ground…
that part stayed with me… something about watching it click.

Same thing with teaching guitar and music back in the day…
there’s something about passing things on.

But if we’re talking secret skills…

I can juggle.

Learned it as a teenager from a guy at a pool hall…
with billiard balls.

And this one’s a little ridiculous but true…

I can throw grapes so high they disappear…
wait… track them back down out of the sky…
and catch them in my mouth.

Oh… and I can juggle grapes and eat them at the same time…

Yeah… I know… lol…

Nothing special… just a fun way to feed your face.

Not today though… too much other stuff to juggle…

˙uoıʇɔǝlɟuı ɥʇıʍ ƃuıs I sɐ ƃuol oS
…ʎɐs I ʇɐɥʍ ɹǝʇʇɐɯ ʇ,usǝop ʇI

© 2026 Bryan Loia Hudson

`’.,°~

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Shakespeare & Me & Ben Howard (Week 21)

Love’s Labour’s Lost

…

Willy `•.

“A light condition in a beauty dark.”

…

Me `’.,°~

…that light in a shit storm…

…

Ben Howard !i¡-

“Keep your head up, keep your heart strong.”

…

Isaiah 45:3
“I will give thee the treasures of darkness…
and hidden riches of secret places…”

© 2026 Bryan Loia Hudson
All rights reserved.

`’.,°~

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Ban Them All…

If you could permanently ban a word from general usage, which one would it be? Why?

Words are overrated…
so misused…

I say ban them all…

just to piss off
folks that talk out their necks…

the ones
that love to play with them—

trying to impress…
without ever feeling
a thing…

anyone caught using them
must clean truck stop restrooms
while eating tacos…
for an entire day…

I think I’ve said too much…
I haven’t said enough… 🤌

© 2026 Bryan Loia Hudson. All rights reserved.

`’.,°~

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My Words… My Way…

Save the fancy talk… for someone who cares…

I’ve been thinking about the way I write…
People probably know by now that I don’t use big.. fancy words.. It’s not because I can’t… I just don’t feel right doing it.. That’s not how I talk in real life — so why would I try to sound that way on the page?

And even though I don’t use fancy words in my stories… I still love words.. All of them.. Simple ones… complex ones… everything in between.. I’m always growing my vocabulary — I just don’t force it into my storytelling..
And who knows… maybe once in awhile I’ll go all out — and try to impress you… haha..

When I tell a story… my story… I want the feel to be like I’m right there with you…
Just talking… just being me.. If I start dressing it up with words I’d never say out loud — then it’s not my story anymore… it turns into something else.

So I keep it simple…
I keep it honest…
I keep it the way it comes out of my mouth…

And maybe one day I’ll throw in a “fancy” word or two just to mess with you…
but it’ll be rare…
and you’ll know it when you see it…

Because I’m after your heart…
not your applause…

I’m not randomly doing things here… things are done purposely…
I have a plan…
and you are the most important part of it…

(Ps.. I also don’t like commas or single periods. 😁)

…….❓❤️🕊️→🛤️→👤~❓🥾🥾’…….?→<†→/→|~?→//”…….❓❤️🕊️→🛤️→👤~❓🥾🥾’…….?→<†→/→|~?→//”….`~\|}•°○●¿.¡- `<³…….👥→🤝→🦅✨→🚛→🌙🌌’…….||→=|=→^*>→––→*~”

“” whos gonna give their heart and soul… to get to me and you …..?”” 👇

“” Lord.. I wonder.. whos gonna fill their shoes …?””

© Bryan H. 2025 — All Rights Reserved