the online home of Bryan McAnally
July 13, 2008
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Georgia's governor is also dad to our former pastor, Jim. We watched a Super Bowl together. He played catch with Cotter. At church, he talked with the kids about their state testing scores. They thought he graded the exams himself....
July 12, 2008
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Dave is Jon's brother by adoption. I always thought his comic books were cool - Elf Quest, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Before they were TMNT). Dave always said he would one day be in comics...today he's a video game designer....
July 11, 2008
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My best pre-teenage friend, Jon introduced me to parachute pants, Motley Crue and Guns 'N Roses. He wore a rented tuxedo to the 8th-grade dance before moving away. He showed up for my wedding rehearsal dinner, but missed our wedding....
July 10, 2008
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As a senior, I dated her (a freshman). When I broke up, I did it by taking a letter she had written me, correcting in red ink all the grammar and spelling errors, and noting the breakup as a postscript....
July 9, 2008
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Rob was in the class ahead of me. He was a popular guy, engaging and funny. He was in a near-fatal accident the same time Dalian died. Rob later became a firefighter, but died heroically intervening in a barroom altercation....
July 8, 2008
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Another successful attorney, Bill volunteered with seventh-grade boys' basketball. We were horrible. He taught me how to go to my left and to sell the head fake. He stuck with us all the way through high school. We got better....
July 7, 2008
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The Craig council member was mom to two fellow older Sea-shark swimmers and volunteered as an official at Craig's annual meet. She left Craig for statewide and national politics. In 1998, Roy admitted to having a long-term affair with her....
July 5, 2008
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Stacy was on the pierced end of love's arrow, from the time when I shot Cupid's bow uniting her with my closest college friend Chris. I will forever bear the scars of the fateful night that they began their relationship....
July 4, 2008
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We met the summer before seventh grade. He introduced me to Prince & the Revolution. He once drank a Big Gulp cup of Tobacco spit to convince a friend's mom it was a Coke. I am gagging at the memory....
July 3, 2008
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My brother's high school girlfriend treated me like a little brother...or how I imagined a big sister should treat me. She became great friends with my parents. My mom was upset when they broke up. Today, she's a fitness guru....
July 2, 2008
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I was sweet on Nicole in sixth grade. Then she French kissed her dog, saying its mouth was cleaner than a human's. I had dogs and saw what they'd been eating and licking. My interest in Nicole diminished after that....
July 1, 2008
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Between computers and higher-level math, I was in his class a lot in high school. He forgave my tardiness, but pushed me academically. Although I have outsourced my mind for math to technology, I still apply Joe's valuable life lessons....
June 30, 2008
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Donny was my first friend in first grade. He had flunked and was doing "First Grade 2.0." Donny's teenage sister died in a car accident a few years later. He taught me all the cuss words and what they meant....
June 29, 2008
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A godly man and great mentor, he was the dean of the school of religious education when I was at Southwestern Seminary. He co-founded and is the president of Rockbridge Seminary. His seminal book is a reference I use often....
June 23, 2008
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Stacey was one of the brightest and most talented Bulldogs' 1991 class. This speech team member and I worked together in Trapper Mine's summer student program in college. Today she is a communications professor at UTEP and travels the world....
June 22, 2008
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Corey was Dalian's best friend. He was the quarterback, wrestler, and pitcher of Kelli's class. He looked like the Grim Reaper during wrestling season when he was trying to "make weight." Today, he's a school administrator and a committed Christian....
June 21, 2008
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Dalian was Kelli's best guy friend. He was a great, gentle giant. He encouraged underclassmen on the football field and was an overachieving wrestler. Dalian died his senior year in an alcohol-related car accident. Kelli carried his flower at graduation....
June 20, 2008
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With Francine, I felt cool that as I sophomore I was dating a senior. Things all fell apart when she asked me to ditch class to go hang out at the lake. I wasn't ready for that level of commitment....
June 19, 2008
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Bret was our school's first great, record-setting long-distance runner. I thought he took steroids, but it turns out he was just fit. I always imagined he gave autographed pictures of himself as a gift to others. Also, he dated Paula....
June 18, 2008
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Audrey, a junior, asked me, a freshman, to Prom. The prospect of going to Prom frightened me, perhaps because my brother (a senior) threatened me with, "Don't ruin my Senior Prom." So I declined. She went with Donnie Jones instead....
June 17, 2008
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Anne Marie golfed on the boys' team before we had a girls' team. She also was the first (and possibly only) girl ever to intentionally fart in front of me. She said that gas runs in her jeans (or genes?)....
June 16, 2008
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As my high school principal, I was once sent to Joe for discipline for pulling a prank. Joe told me to wait fifteen minutes and return looking contrite. Joe was a great leader in a different era of public education....
June 15, 2008
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Everything about Lisa can be summed up in the word "Loud!" She's always had an outgoing personality and was active in speech and debate. She is a good friend of Kelli's and along with Paula, the three were Calvary cohorts....
June 14, 2008
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Tari ran long distance in track. Her mom was my mom's greatest competition in business, which made it funny that she dated my brother a bit. She has a big brain and eventually became a doctor of the medical variety....
June 13, 2008
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Tonya is Trevor's older sister, twin to brother Todd, and classmate of Kelli's. Tonya and I didn't mingle much growing up, apart from our friendship circles occasionally having tangential interaction. I just learned she became a Christian in 2001. Awesome!...
June 12, 2008
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Kelli "loved" Ron when they were in 6th grade. We have an audio confession of this. I played football with Ron and I was always quietly terrified that I would have to line up opposite him in a tackling drill....
June 11, 2008
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Audrey, as a Junior, agreed to be my date for a dance my freshman year. For this, my peers celebrated my initiative. At the dance, she promptly ditched me. Kelli pitied me and danced with me a lot that night....
June 4, 2008
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Chesty was our next-door neighbor on Tucker Street in Craig. He had the coolest name, or the most unfortunate. He owned and operated the local Tast-E-Freez which was awesome. He gave us free ice cream cones on a regular basis....
June 3, 2008
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Steve is a favorite "Riverside Kid." He has more personality in his fingernail clippings than most others at their best. My first job in ministry was to keep him behaved in kids' choir and answer his many Sunday school questions....
June 2, 2008
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Amanda is yet another "Riverside Kid" who means so very much to us. Kelli interpreted for her in children's choir and Sunday school. Amanda was the flower girl in our wedding. We are so proud of this incredible young lady....
June 1, 2008
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Janie is another "Riverside Kid" from our Sunday school class. Her dad was the minister of music, and they are a great family. Janie went on to win Miss Colorado in 2006 and compete in the 2007 Miss America Pageant....
May 31, 2008
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One of our "Riverside Kids," Kim was one of our first Sunday school students and a Snow Jam skier. Today, Kim's love for Christ is comprehensively evident. We are in awe of God's handiwork in this precious friend of ours!...
May 28, 2008
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Our pastor at North Cross in Georgia, Jim preached his first sermons in our home before we began meeting at the area high school and the church grew. Jim is a gifted preacher, visionary pastor, devoted dad and faithful husband....
May 27, 2008
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Steve was The Boys & Girls Club's 2007 Georgina McAnally Volunteer of the Year and a Moffat County Bulldog teammate. Steve died May 11 of cancer after fighting bravely for two years and faithfully coaching youth sports throughout his effort....
May 26, 2008
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Betsy was s a good friend of my mom's and worked with her launching the annual Christmas for Seniors program. Mom to Kevin & Corey, older Moffat County Bulldog teammates, she was always at our games cheering from the stands....
May 25, 2008
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My seventh grade art teacher, Jill gave me detention for pumping paint bottles like a musical instrument, spraying tempuras into classroom window screens. She locked me out once when I covertly left the room to fetch coins thrown by friends....
May 24, 2008
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Gary was my high school track coach. He led us to four conference titles (and twelve consecutive titles overall). He excelled at maximizing his athletes' potential. He is a great encourager, a tremendous motivator, and a faithful disciple of Christ....
May 23, 2008
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My Pledge Son from Boston, Jeff joined Sigma Chi and introduced me to the perceived superiority of all things originating from New England. A true Bronco "hateh," Jeff disputed Elway's greatness. He and I clicked on pretty much everything else....
May 22, 2008
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Kelli's best childhood friend, Paula is a fun person to be around. You laugh more and take life much less seriously in her company. She's the mom of Cotter's future wife and is a high school college and career counselor....
May 21, 2008
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Rod was my second pastor/boss. The best thing Rod ever did was not accept my resignation offered in a time of frustration. He was patient with me. I learned much about not leaving a ministry until the Lord moves you....
May 20, 2008
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Al was the first pastor with whom I served. He taught me with his genuine approach to ministering the truth that people want to know about how much you care much more than they care about how much you know....
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"Mr. Sunday School" was a great denominational leader and a seminary professor who taught me good Sunday school work. He also taught me, "If God so loved every person enough to give them Jesus, don't you dare do anything less."...
May 19, 2008
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As my first pastor, Rick taught me to obey the Spirit promptly. He always preached uncompromising, loving truth. I was honored to write The Servant Principle with him. A godly example and mentor, Rick is in heaven, his faith fulfilled....
May 18, 2008
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Melvin is a Georgia peach and a fellow NAMB veteran. She was my counterpart in the children's division and edited their resources. She is incredibly gifted, faithful, diligent, and hardworking. I am blessed to call this prayer warrior my friend....
May 16, 2008
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A fellow NAMBian, we were often confused for the other because we both worked in Mission Education, although our jobs had nothing in common. Thus, "Myron McCarsonally" was born. Matt can rank every Chicken Tender product in the Atlanta region....
May 14, 2008
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Izzy was our basketball team's best shooter and leading scorer. He also was our football team's kicker/punter. He taught me every cuss word in Spanish (most of which I have forgotten). Today, he is successful in sales back in Craig....
May 13, 2008
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Malissa was another great athlete…starred in cross-country, track and basketball. She was an equestrian champion, winning at the state fair every year. I was taking a picture of her and Amy on the senior bench the momentTroy pantsed me....
May 12, 2008
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Jamie is an awesome friend I have known since fourth grade. She was one of the goodest "good girls." Today, she is a godly wife, mom of three, a fitness instructor, choreographer, and entrepreneur. Her husband's name is Jamey,...
May 10, 2008
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Becca was a 7th/8th-grade sweetheart. She was obsessed with Madonna and for some reason, I found that impressively intriguing. I once stole lace gloves from a mannequin and gave them to her as a gift. She moved away. I recovered....
May 9, 2008
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We dated for four years, and I was not a very good boyfriend to her. We went through the growing pains and identity crises common to young adulthood, and learned that we were much better apart than we were together....
May 8, 2008
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He is a 21st-century Renaissance man who arranges music, plays it, repairs a room's acoustics, designs a web page and fixes the network. I appreciate his straight-talk approach and his humble manner of following God. Rock me Amadeus, indeed amigo....
May 7, 2008
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Jen the birthday girl is amazingly talented and incredibly hard working. She produces our worship, coordinates our communications, designs our media, and does it with Christ-like integrity, consistency, style, humility and Grace. Literally. Also, she digs Lost and The Office....
May 6, 2008
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One of the coolest girls I've ever known, I met Susie early at D.U. She was a reason I joined Sigma Chi. She can talk/play hoops with the best, and today is an LPGA golf pro and mom of two....
May 5, 2008
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As pledge brothers, we were twice roommates in Sigma Chi penthouses. Shawn was famous with Delta Zeta for "The Fish," which got him banned from the sorority. He is a true Coloradoan, die-hard Broncos fan, and a twin Rockies/Braves loyalist....
May 3, 2008
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Thomas is my Sigma Chi "pledge dad." He is a true scholar, socially adept and sharply funny. He modeled being a well-rounded gentleman. He sang in our wedding and today is an attentive medical doctor, devoted husband, and loving dad....
May 2, 2008
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Rollie was a class behind, but a class ahead, if you get what I'm saying. We would give a wrong answer on a test, like this, just to make a teacher laugh. Today he teaches kindergarten. He may be insane....
May 1, 2008
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She's the first Christian I remember in our group living out her faith. Not perfectly, but who does? She encouraged me early in my walk. She's a mom of seven and part of a mission effort in El Paso, Texas....
April 30, 2008
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Lori was my first kiss. We were young...five-ish. Our moms worked together. We were playing in a closet and it seemed like the right thing to do. She's a great mom and a teacher today, married to an awesome guy....
April 29, 2008
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Diane was a heart breaker. The reality was, a bunch of us liked her more than she liked each of us, so there you go. She was probably our class's best athlete, and today is running after four precious children....
April 28, 2008
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Our third co-valedictorian, Keith actually knew all the stuff I just faked at a high level. He became an engineer, and not the kind wearing the cool hat and honking the horn when you gesture as he travels the tracks....
April 27, 2008
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We met Randy on the first day of seminary and have been friends since. We played 42 and had sno-cones seemingly every Friday night. He is the master of the "Work-the-title-of-the-80s-Song-into-the-conversation game we played." Today he is a dignified pastor....
April 26, 2008
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After knee surgery, Beaver used his crutches to bat down passes during lunchtime football. He lived with his grandparents, and his room was always the coolest place to hang. He had the loudest stereo ever in the littlest car ever....
April 25, 2008
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Nobody can make me laugh like Rusty. We always managed to have a good time without getting in to trouble, at least as far as the law was concerned. Any experience is more enjoyable if it includes Trevor in it....
April 24, 2008
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A friend for thirty years, Angel threatens to write a scandalous tell-all should fame ever knock on my door. Our world-views collide, which makes for great conversation. She has lived more adventures than most people do in twice the years....
April 23, 2008
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We met as freshman fraternity pledges and were roommates in "The Zoo." He had many worthy contributions to my Wall of Shame. I forever bear the literal scars of playing matchmaker to him and his bride. He is a true...
April 22, 2008
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We ran track together and were teammates on a championship relay. We both took wandering paths that brought us both to North Texas and Christian Ministry. Today, he's a trusted friend and colleague. He's a great thinker and outstanding minister....
April 21, 2008
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We were co-valedictorians and football co-captains. I went to his home daily after practices, and his mom Barb would always have a Gatorade for us both. We both ended up in Flower Mound, but he's currently in Shanghai for work....
April 20, 2008
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I've known Troy for more than thirty years. He's featured in many of my "that's how I learned a valuable lesson" stories. I was the "nice and funny, talkative wingman" to Troy's "hot guy." He's initially quiet, then outrageously fun....
November 1, 2007
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Meet Kyle (click on the image for a close-up of this brave little guy). He's a friend of a friend. He was born last Friday, seventeen weeks premature. He needs your prayers. Right now. Please stop long enough to pray...
August 10, 2007
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The following is an edit of an earlier entry dated Oct 3, 2002 As America approaches the six-year anniversary of September 11, 2001, the death toll of US servicemen approaches 3,700. That number is as incomprehensible as the 2,835 who...
June 27, 2007
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Vacation Bible School 2007 is completed. We had an awesome week. We welcomed 866 kids into the church for the week. Our high attendance day was Tuesday with 688, but we averaged 684 kids a day, so that gives...
May 7, 2007
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My pastor has begun blogging; his site is called Open Mike. He launches his communications from Brazil, where he and his son have been preaching in a two-week mission trip. Exciting stuff. It is indeed a joy to serve alongside...
June 28, 2006
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Friend and former NAMB colleague Paul Obregon died June 5, 2006, from cardiac arrest. Paul was one of the staff photographers, capturing images from the mission field and conveying the message of sacrifice and service. More than anything, in my...
January 3, 2005
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From Clay (edited to remove all caps):Hello all! It is Monday Afternoon (4:30pm) here and 7:30am CST back there. As I inserted each of your names, I thanked God for you. Here is a little update since the last time...
January 2, 2005
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From Jim's Anaconda Chronicles, his latest email:Dear Family and Friends, I apologize for not writing to you sooner; several factors contributed to the delay. As some of you know my flight from Denver was rescheduled giving me an extra six...
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From Clay & Laura, on a missionary adventure in Russia:Hello All! Laura and I arrived here safely (and really tired) on Saturday morning. We were blessed this morning by partaking in The Lord's Supper at The House Of Prayer (the...
December 30, 2004
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Friends and Spare Change contributors are on their way to Kazan, Russia, on a mission trip. Please pray for their travel safety and effectiveness. They'll be taking pictures and sharing about the ministry here at Spare Change when they return....
August 30, 2004
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Recent emails from Jim, serving our military in Iraq:Hello everyone, I had to relocate back to the KBR camp’s temporary quarters for new people since we have added a night shift. They are commonly referred to as “Cheese Boxes” and...