Love Is a Verb…

What is something others do that sparks your admiration?

I admire when people do the right thing
when no one is looking…

people who know love is a verb…

people who sacrifice and give of themselves
to help and show love to those they don’t even know…

people who practice what they preach.

I would rather see a sermon any day
than hear one…

people who have arrived at a place
where they can put others before themselves…

and I’m not talking about your family and friends
most anyone can do that…

let’s do it for each other…
and for the ones we don’t know…

then we can really find out
what we are about…

then we can truly make a difference

but life is tough… I get it…
I know it’s easy to say… harder to do…
but we can get there… I know we can…

just sayin’ 😁💯😎`.°~

…..✈️🌃↓👁‍🗨→🏙🚶‍♀️🚶‍♂️~😶‍🌫️   →💔👤👥→😔📉→😶‍🌫️~   →🙏👁✨→💞🌍   →🤲💔→🚫🖐↔️→🕳👥   →👁‍🗨†→👀🌍~’
…….°↑→🏙→…→v↓~   →•≠•→_/→?~   →^!→†👁→+∞   →∩↓→x↔→()¬   →†◎→👁~’

The Ink And The Needle…

In memory of Joey…

So I once wrote a piece called “fourteen”
Some of you read it
About the death of my friend
When I was young
And how it changed everything for me early on

I’ve been thinking of him today
And.. I was reminded of this story

It was 1988
Me
Joey
And Chris

We had our entire lives in front of us
But who really cared about that crap right now
We were too busy being country boys

Hunting
Fishing
Shooting guns
Listening to music
Playing football and baseball
Laughing and pranking each other
Sneaking in and out of the neighborhood girls’ bedroom windows late at night
While the oblivious moms and dads slept quiet.. and cold… back to back…

Raiding the liquor cabinet of my friend April’s dad
Filling the bottles back up with tea or water
Or whatever the hell we could find

Life was sweet
Alive…………………………………………………..`.°~
Intoxicating

Feels so long ago
And now it’s just these words

One day.. the three of us decided to buy some Indian ink from the local drug store
And give each other tattoos

We were great at many things
However
Drawing with a dipped sewing needle was not one of them.. haha

We secured the ink and the needle
Yes…
One needle…
For all three of us…

We didn’t care about disease back then
We were blood brothers anyway

So we ventured way back into the woods along a creek we frequented
There was a huge fallen oak tree across the water
Forming a natural bridge

This was our favorite hangout spot
We also fished the creek often
Mostly after school and on the weekends

Those woods…
We knew them well
The three of us spent a lot of our lives there

So we sat together on that tree bridge

Joey was first up for the ink
He was the brave one
The cool one
The leader

After all
It was his idea

He picked me to be the one to permanently eff his skin up for life…

I was nervous
I didn’t really want to do it

Stop being a pussy Bryan
Ok…
I got this
Give me the ink and the needle and stfu
Watch and learn fellas

So I proceeded

I put the needle to his back

And gave him his initials… J. T.

He also wanted a cross
And so I did…

And I have to say
It looked pretty badass
For what I had to work with
Not bad at all

What a relief…

But when my turn came
I don’t know what the hell came over me

I became afraid
Not only of the pain
But of the forever of it

If this is going to be on me for life
Then I want it to look good
Not some black chicken-scratch bullshit.. I have to stare at forever

The fear got me
And I didn’t go through with it

So we wrapped up the ink and the needle
Placed it in a little wooden box
And hid it inside a hollowed-out dead tree

Then we went home

And I caught hell from them the whole way back…
For chickening out…

And I did feel bad
Like I broke our bro code
Like I let my crew down

That was one of the last times I ever saw Joey alive…

The next time
Was when I stood over his casket at the funeral

A few months went by…

One night I was in my room playing my guitar late…
And I caught his spirit…
I felt his presence…

I don’t really have words for it
But I was so moved by it…

That I grabbed a flashlight
Climbed quietly out my bedroom window
So I wouldn’t wake anyone

Went into the woods
Retrieved the wooden box with the ink and the needle
Made it back to my room

Sat on my bed

And gave myself a small cross tattoo on my arm…

In memory of my friend…

Late that night… the ink finally meant something…

…….↑≠◇→~✿✿~→✖→✖→✖’

Slowpoke Rodriguez… Hidden gem…

What’s your favorite cartoon?

Sometimes my life feels like an effin cartoon… other than that.. I don’t really have a favorite one… there are so many great ones though… but today I’m reminded of Slowpoke Rodriguez… definitely.. a hidden gem… slow moving… sharp minded… bad#ss and funny… I wouldn’t eff with him if I were you… he’ll eff you up…!

(Don’t effin mind me… I’m just experimenting with new ways to curse as a Christian… without effin upsetting folks…😁)

“” This is no place for a country mouse… it’s too dangerous…! “” 💯

Shakespeare & Me & CSNY (Week 6)

The Tempest & The Southern Cross…

Shakespeare `•.

In the brave vessel.. did I suffer wreck..
Which thou heard’st cry.. and saved’st a drowning man…

CSNY ,’-/~

My love is an anchor..
Tied to you…
Tied with a silver chain..

Me `.°~

I have my ship—
and all HIS flags are a-flyin’

HE is all that I have left—
and JESUS is HIS name…

…¹4³…⛵→☀️~↑→💭↑🔥→<³⚓→⛓⛓🤝→🚢→🚩🚩🚩~↑→👤<³∞→†👑’🏳🏳🏳…….→→^~~~→^^^→<³→⚓→==→→→|>→|||~~~→<³∞→†’       `.°-   ♡`

.

(Adele) Set Fire To The Rain – Sungha Jung 🌧🔥

…..¹..<↓→( )↑→●~→?→*:→□<~’ ….⁴…|^≠/<>→( )<↓→+_+’ ..³…..~<~→@|≠@→#%→∞’ …¹….^~|↓→/=?→:~→!!∿’ …⁴….[]<>→::●→<∞→||=O’ ..³…..||::→<*>→::<>↩→::¹4³~’ …….^~|↓→( )=?→:~→!!≠@’ …….^~|→!||→∅~→⌛X=⌛X’.insert crap here..●→^→●→^→ “‘……..●→^→●→^→”……♥↓→🤲↑→⚫~→迷→💋✨→🕳💔~’ …….✋💪≠🦵🫨→🤲🤍↓→🛐🦶’ …….🙂⇄🌀→🎭🗣≠🧠→🎲🎮→🏆∞’ …….🔥~🌧↓→👋脸→😭~→📣🙍‍♂️📛∿’ …….🛏🤝→👁️‍🗨️⚫→🤍∞→👫=🌍’ …….🚪⏰→💘🎣→⏳👀↩→👀4U~’ …….🔥~🌧↓→🤲脸→😭~→🔊📛≠🧠’ …….🔥~🌧→🧯👫→💀~→⌛✖=⌛✖’ …….⚫→🔥→⚫→🔥→.. .   ……….”let it burn”‘ 🔥🌿😎💯             `.°-   @`——

Hidden Gems Is More Than Music 💎👀

Most people think Hidden Gems From The B-Side is just a music series
And yes… it is
But it’s also much deeper than that
It’s how I’ve learned to see the world

I’ve always been drawn to what’s overlooked
The quiet songs
The forgotten roads
The voices that never make the charts but carry the most weight
While the world chases what’s loud fast and trending…
I find myself searching for what’s hidden unpopular and unknown
Not because it’s obscure
But because it’s honest
And it means something to me…

In every area of life I’ve become this way…
No matter what it is…
I’m always searching and digging for hidden beauty…
I don’t ride the norm wagons…
If I can help it…

I’m this way with people too…
However… I love everyone 😁…
But the popular prom queen cheerleader girl…
You can have her 😆…
I’m not about that life…
I’m coming for the quiet shy thing in the corner…
The one who doesn’t even realize how beautiful she is…

Sorry not sorry 😆…
That’s just how I roll… 😎`.°-

…….b~→u?→=/\=→n?→<3=1′

So yall see me post rock type music all the time along with my Christian stuff.. but my roots are also with like RnB and rap too.. I run the gamut… so here’s the other side of me 🤓

Hidden Gems From The B-Side – Faith Side (Week 4)

Kutless 🎶 All The Words 🎶 Shut Me Out…

Hey yall… Happy Sunday..
These next guys are one of my all-time favorites.. So many great songs.. So much depth.. They can rock hard or be gentle on the ears—and they do both beautifully…

They’re from Portland.. Oregon.. formed in 1999.. and started as a campus worship band..

They’re known as Kutless… and yeah—they’re bad#ss for Jesus 😎😁

I’ve got two songs for you today..
“All The Words” and “Shut Me Out..”

I didn’t even realize this until now.. but both of these songs pretty much describe my blog.. Even my tagline comes straight from the lyrics of “All The Words…”
And fun fact—that song was featured on an episode of Scrubs back in the day…

Alright… I’m done talking now 😄
Just listen and enjoy…
And I truly appreciate yall so much..
tyty… 😎`.°- thinking of yall today…

…….✝️🎶→💎📀🅱️’…….†→◇→<B>’

Everyday… I Wake With a Song… Everyday… I Write the Book…

Elvis Costello 🎶 Everyday I Write The Book…

Every morning.. I wake up with a new song already in my heart and on my lips.. The music that finds me is a mix of Christian and secular.. and it truly lives in me 24/7 — even soundtracking my dreams..
This morning’s wake-up song was this gem from Elvis Costello… and I know many of you will feel this one 😎🙃🎶🖊 📘

…….🌍=🎬→🎞️⟲📖✒️’…….○=▶▦>>[ ]/`’🎶

“”Even in a perfect world.. where everyone was equal…🎶
I’d still own the film rights.. and be🎶working on the sequel.. and.. I’m giving you a longing look..
Everyday.. everyday.. everyday i write the🎶 book…””🎶

3 little girls from Mexico that are keeping Rock alive!🖤🤟💯💣💥

The Warning.. Paulina.. Daniela.. Alejandra..

I’ve been following these 3 sisters since they were little tiny things.. I knew they were special.. and I knew they’d be famous one day if they chose.. but I never thought they’d be such a power force in rock music today.. keeping it alive lol.. wasn’t expecting that 😁… they are special.. I’ve been behind them from the beginning.. watching and rooting.. well played ladies.. Rock On.. 💣💥💯🤟🎶 (also Paulina and Jen from Skillet are my two favorite lady drummers..)

The beginning 👇

The Outcome 👇

👇 this one is bad@ss! Probably my favorite vid of them.. this is just an older one of them practicing at home..

…….⚠️🎸→👧🥁→👧🎤→👧🎸→🔥🎶→🤘→🪨🎵→❤️’…….|W|→(P+D+A)→~♪~⚡~*~→↑ROCK↑→<3′