"Pop Songs Can Heal the Soul" - Sufjan Stevens

I may have an unhealthy love for Sufjan.  With each new song, he becomes more and more of a musical genius to me.  Why?  For one, he is insanely talented, with the most soothing voice (see here) and musical ingenuity (see here).  Two, all of his (good) songs instantly communicate a deep intimacy with the listener (see here) (and here).   And finally, for his unshakable view and love of God.  Let me camp here for a second.  


Through his songs, he is able to communicate this being, who loves us so much, who wants the best for us, and who is already so close... A great instance is in this song.  When I listen to it, I am comforted, not by Sufjan, but by this infinitely intimate being he describes:

I always knew you / in your mothers arms 

i have called your name / i have an idea 

placed in your mind / to be a better man 

ive made a crown for you  / put it in your room 

and when the bride groom comes / there will be noise 

there will be glad / and a perfect man

and when you write a poem / i know the words 

i know the sounds / before you write it down 

and when you wear your clothes / i wear them too 

i wear your shoes / and your jacket too 

i always knew you / in your mothers arms 

i have called you son / ive made amends 

between father and son / or if you havent one 

rest in my arms / sleep in my bed 

there is a design / to what i did and said

Man, gets me every time.  


Anyways, I saw him in concert this week, and it was... different.  Sufjan is still himself, but he has moved into a strange world of synthesizers and auto-tune.  From the stage, he said for this album, he was giving up all his comforts (basically any classical instrument + the banjo), and just getting down to pure sound.  There is one story I wanted to share.


He said he was going through a time of intense isolation, heartbreak, and loneliness.  During this time, he found the work of one Royal Robertson.  Still on stage, he explained to us Robertson's life.  Royal was a painter living in Louisiana, with a deep fracture.  "His work struck me as beautiful and divine and tragic," Stevens said.  Royal dove deep into this futuristic, spacey art world, dealing with his own heartaches and a serious mental illness: schizophrenia.  "During this time in my life, Royal's art was a kind of guide," Sufjan claimed.  


(He dedicated the next song "The Dress Looks Nice on You," "Heirloom" to Robertson's widow, who was at the show.)


And voila - he released 'Age of Adz', a complete detachment from his usual folksy music.  In 'Adz', Sufjan relies on drumbeats, synthesizers, and other crazy sounds in-betweeen.


BUT - the music is still awesome.  Sufjan is still Sufjan, and his CD, most of which he played in Dallas, was his own psycho-therapy session, he claims.  


As for the concert, the show was amazing.  Like a broadway production meeting a laser-light show, he rocked.  Throw in dueling drumsets, trombones, space-dressed backup singers. . . and you have quite a show.  


Like I said before, Sufjan's music brings an instant intimacy, and his presence on stage did the same.  He laughed at a few mistakes, and expressed the pain which produced this album.  


For the finale, he played the epic 25-minute long song "Impossible Soul."  He calls this his personal psycho-therapy session, and if you take the time to listen, he invites us into his most intimate doubts, pains and struggles.  The lyrics are wrought with statements like "Do you want to be afraid?", "Don't be shy in the window / come down and give your best", "Don't be distracted","It's a long life /Better pinch yourself /put your face together / better get it right / it's a long life / better hit yourself /put your face together /gotta stand up straight / it's a long life / only one last chance / couldn't get much better / do you wanna dance? "  


He said, (jokingly?) in explaining the different parts of the song, "I believe pop songs can heal the soul.  At least mine."


It's like Sufjan is reminding himself of who he is, what his weaknesses are, and how to act when he doesn't know what to do.  Uh, hello, I can definitely relate to that!  He ends the song with the refrain "Boy, we can do much more together!"  Taken one way, this could be a woman speaking... But to me, I see it as simply we can do more together than alone.  A lesson I need to remember, and one I think Sufjan portrays as well (he's quite an isolationist).  


The best part is during this song, he broke out a shiny wig, the autotune, and danced!  (hilarious/epic video here).


So, I'm not sure where this was headed. . .


The concert was great, and Sufjan is still making great music, sharing his talents, his love, fear, and disagreements with of God, rolled up with songs about the apocalypse (see here), death, afterlife, love... 


He may want to get a restraining order against me.  

The set list from Sufjan Stevens at SMU's McFarlin Auditorium (10-20-10)

1. Seven Swans (from 2004's 'Seven Swans')
2. Too Much (from 2010's 'The Age of Adz')
3. Age of Adz (from 'The Age of Adz')
4. Heirloom (from 2010's 'All Delighted People' EP)
5. I Walked (from 'The Age of Adz')
6. Futile Devices (from 'The Age of Adz')
7. Vesuvius (from 'The Age of Adz')
8. Now That I'm Older (from 'The Age of Adz')
9. Get Real Get Right (from 'The Age of Adz')
10. Enchanting Ghost ('All Delighted People' EP)
11. Impossible Soul (from 'The Age of Adz')
12. Chicago (from 2005's 'Illinois')

ENCORE

1. Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland ('Illinois')
2. Casimir Pulaski Day ('Illinois')
3. The Dress Looks Nice on You ('Seven Swans')

Video from the concert (not mine):

Seven Swans - http://www.youtube.com/user/bdkoehn#p/u/5/zY-im_2FG-Y

Too Much - http://www.youtube.com/user/bdkoehn#p/u/4/31HKfHIPD-U

Impossible Soul (pop part) - http://www.youtube.com/user/bdkoehn#p/u/3/wBTHwFIM2oo

Impossible Soul (end) - http://www.youtube.com/user/bdkoehn#p/u/2/CCGlCYAF1T

Chicago - http://www.youtube.com/user/bdkoehn#p/u/1/-URGNH_LTZA

Pursuing III: Frightening Biases and The Glory of 'Me' in Social Media

This is the third post in a series exploring the idea of Pursuing others and building relationships.  Check back each Thursday for more.  For the entire series, click here.   

Frightening Biases

Have you ever heard anyone ask, "Would Jesus have had a facebook? Would he have 'tweeted'?" ?  You won't get my answer, because I think this debate is pointless.  Having these social media outlets is not a moral issue; these technologies are simple tools, which happen to be very popular right now.  


I gathered these thoughts after a very challenging article by Shane Hipps.  I suggest you read it.  In fact, if you don't, you prove his premise that our generation is moving towards communication by short, simple statements and sustained illiteracy is becoming a thing of the past.  Here's his article.   

The article says some concerning things.  He explains how every technology we use has an innate bias; a pronounced side-effect.  For instance, in major cities, the technology of public transportation biases people to walk more, compared to smaller cities.  Facebook, Twitter and every other social media are simply technologies, neither good nor bad, but with key innate biases.  And the ones Shane brings up are frightening.  

First, he digs through facebook.  Essentially, facebook teaches us to be narcissists; although facebook is for 'connecting', our lengthy time spent creating our profile, which is how others see us, is leading us towards narcissism.  We end up staring at our own image in the water more often than others', just like Narcissus.  "Many of these technologies create a condition of absence in a world desperate for our presence."

And then there's Twitter.  Now, the interesting thing here is that there actually are good, profound quotes and experiences on Twitter.  BUT, the average lifespan of a tweet is less than an hour!  "Twitter has no patience for time.  Twitter bypasses these things so it can express... This does not make Twitter bad, invalid or useless.  It simply means twitter is a medium more likely to convey cliché's rather than deep aphorisms of profound insight."  We read, we are entertained and thought-provoked, then forget.

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So... what?

After reading this article, I had to take a deep look into why I updated my facebook status, and why I continued to tweet my boring life.  Also, why did I spend hours reading material I've long forgotten?  What was I seeking? What are we seeking?  

For a while, I was seeking a savior.  I believed that once I found that perfect quote or that awesome article, I wouldn't need all of this input.  I'd be set.  Yet, after what, 3 years now, I can barely remember the last tweet I read.  In a snowball of information, the profound is lost in the 'cute', the 'trend', and the endless hyperlinks...

So, back to the original question.  How would Jesus have used twitter, or facebook?  Would he tweet out his sermons?  Would he poke his disciples?  I don't think he would.  

It's interesting how many people Jesus, who himself came to pursue all mankind for his Father, turned so many people away, and wanted to keep things on the DL.  There was no 'You're invited, come to the sermon on the mount!!!!' facebook event and he never tweeted his location for the crowds.  In fact, I see the opposite.  

Check out these verses:

Matthew 8:4 - "See to it that you say nothing to anyone, but go..."

Matthew 9:30 - And Jesus sternly warned them, "See that no one knows about it."

Luke 8:38 - But Jesus sent him away saying, "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you."

Luke 8:56 - And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.

There's a lot more, just look around...

I'm not sure about you, but it's simple pride for me.  I want people to see me, to retweet me, to think "OMG, that Bryce guy, he is hilarious!"  So, I've really had to check myself lately - facebook and twitter are fertile grounds for me to become more and more prideful, more and more narcissistic, building up my image, my glory, me.  

How does ANY of that line up with the gospel?  The Bible says I am dead, it is only Christ who lives.  In my pride, I build a castle of sand, just waiting to be washed away...  When Christ lived, he was homeless a lot, had few real friends (and even they left him in the end), ate from those he taught, walked everywhere rebuking people for their sins... He was no celebrity, and probably not very well-liked.  He did not try to grab any glory for himself, "did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing...(Phil. 2)."  

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Well, I got a little off-topic here, but that's alright.  I hope this post challenges us to re-think why we're using social media, and how we could use it to bring glory to God, not ourselves.  I decided to add it to this series because I have learned that online-only relationships are hardly worthy of that word.  They are nice, cute, but in the end, bring each party little but entertainment.  

Before you go and join a monastery we'll talk next week at why we MUST influence.  

Yeah...

Sorry for the lack of updates.  Last week got a little crazy getting ready to go down to C-Stat.  This week has been surprisingly super-busy, but good.  I have a bunch of thoughts about the next pursuing post, but nothing concrete yet.  And now, this sickness I picked up in C-stat is getting the best of me.  But, I promise an update soon, and hopefully some thoughts from Sufjan Stevens' concert last night...   Stay tuned. . .

Why Pursue? A Disturbance in Perspective

This is the second post in a series exploring the idea of Pursuing others and building relationships.  Check back each Thursday for more. For the whole series, click here.  

This week, some visitors came to my small group.  My plan was to leave a little early, but I became entranced by their call to be missionaries in Papua New Guinea.  In a nutshell, their function would be a supporting role to the missionaries out in 'the bush'.  This may not sound like a big deal, but let me recount what I learned about Papua New Guinea.

Imagine a big island with 6 million people, and Hawaii-like jungles.  Now, take out all infrastructure, and rewind history to when people were separated into tribes; precisely 865 small bands of people, with a distinct language, living in an equatorial jungle.  That's Papua New Guinea.  There are currently 320-ish tribes living as animists, cannibals, or both, unreached.  

Back in the day, the first missionaries to go to the jungles were killed.  But, a second group was invited to live with a tribe.  They learned their language.  They shared the gospel.  A church was built.  Disciples were made.  And more missionaries went to more tribes.  Now, the husband that talked with us would provide construction of houses in each village, while the wife will work as a nurse to the missionaries.  They are committing four years of their life to simply support the missionaries living among the tribes.  

What possible motivation would it take for a couple to commit this amount of time and effort, losing all 21st century comforts, just to help people who are visiting villages?  

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I didn't walk away that night with a call to be a missionary.  But, my perspective was severely challenged.  I realized there are some KEY issues that I may 'say' I believe, but my actions prove me wrong.  What I saw in the young couple was that they DID believe these things.

1. Without the gospel, people who die will be in Hell. Forever.  
If I truly believed this, wouldn't the gospel be the only thing I ever talked about?  They are going to Papua New Guinea to literally save people from Hell.


2. ... and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."  (Acts 20:35)
I have found I like to receive, and take for myself... Meanwhile they are giving a huge amount of time and effort for people they've never met living in a jungle.

3. We are sojourners here.  
My lifestyle does not reflect this - I'm digging in, building up my nest.  They are living with eternity in mind, knowing that no treasure here lasts, and that people are eternal

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Wow, so that wasn't really where I thought this post would head, but I want to close with one final piece of motivation: your own story.

I am scared to think of the person I would be if it wasn't for someone who pursued me for Christ.  After years of attending church, I finally understood the gospel because my youth minister pursued me, and formed a relationship with me.  Without him or someone else pursuing me for Christ, I would NEVER have chosen God's way.

But, he did find me.  Someone formed a relationship with him, and before them another... all the way back to the disciples and Paul, telling everyone... even back to Jesus himself, pursuing others for His Father.

With this legacy behind us, isn't it our turn to pursue others for Christ?

He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves." 

(Luke 10:2-3)

Why Aren't you Getting to Know Me?

This is the first post in a series exploring the idea of Pursuing others and building relationships.  Check back each Thursday for more.  


I recently read a compelling article from one of our Forge speakers.  Check it out, then come back here.  


His premise was about loving people, despite their reactions to our love.  


"You see, somewhere along the line we got it in our heads that the call to love the world was simultaneously a call to make the world love us."


"But it’s important for us to remember that love does not have to be reciprocated in order to be authentic. When we define love as a transaction or exchange, it rapidly turns into something self-serving and conditional. Loving you so you’ll love me is not the same thing as loving you."


"Their response must have no bearing on our love.  We are called to love, not necessarily to be loved." 

His thoughts reminded me of a similar lesson I learned last year.  But it wasn't about love; it was about pursuing and relationships - a lesson I had forgotten.  Through this short series, I hope to remember and explore why we should pursue relationships, reciprocated or not.

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Our group had just survived a pretty tough week.  I can't really go into details as I'm sworn to secrecy.  But, during a meeting to work out some of our tensions, someone brought out the idea that people were 'slipping through the cracks.'  Many in our group felt overlooked, un-loved and forgotten.  When this was voiced, I felt like part of that 'forgotten' group - I felt like there we were, a couple months of living together, and no one had really pursued a real, deep relationship with me.  


Luckily, during a talk with one of my closest Forge friends, I was hit with how selfish I had been.    I had put zero effort into building relationships with others, and then there I was feeling sorry for no one coming to build one with me.  I just wanted to take and take, and not give anything.  


Still, I think I would have been upset if I had tried to build relationships and still nothing was reciprocated.  Then, I would have felt like I had some grounds to condemn the other Forge members, right?  


Later in the year, we got "Lantzed."  I don't remember the exact discussion, but it had something to do with people feeling like their 'needs' weren't being met; basically, the part two of our previous talk.  Matt reminded us that Jesus lived, ate, and built into his disciples all day, every day, for three years.  Did He ever feel like some of His needs weren't being met?  Without getting all theological, I would say a resounding "Yes!"  Still, He pursued them fully, teaching them, leading them, giving all He had to make them into leaders; however, their behavior did not limit his efforts.

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I understand we are called to love all, despite reciprocation.  But, I've already forgotten this lesson.  I find myself still waiting for others to build into me.  So, I want to focus on pursuing, and post my thoughts as I struggle and learn here.  On this blog, what I want to explore is:


-What is pursuing? What is the difference between love and pursuing? 


-How did God pursue us? 


-How did Christ pursue us? 


-Why pursue others, and how can we pursue others?  


I'm hoping to have a post on these topics each Thursday so be sure to check back next week.  

BowerBirds | Efterklang 9.25.10

This spring, I made a blog for future photography projects.  I just put up the pictures from last weekend's concert:

blazon photography

Before Xbox's 'Kinect'... there was the Powerglove

So, I'm sure you've heard of Microsoft's latest money-baby - Kinect.

But, 22 years ago, Nintendo had a very similar idea: the Power Glove.  Prepare to be wowed less by technology and more by 1980's marketing:

The Power Glove.  It's so BAD!

You may now return to something productive.

Running: It's All About the Music

So, I am not the leading authority on running, but I have found one thing very helpful: music.  We worked out each week at the Forge, and it was really the first time I had a regular running schedule.  However, I never listened to music while running.

Fast forward to July, when I was finally settled into Dallas, I started running again.   And, my friends, music makes all the difference.  So, here is some advice on what to listen to while you burn away those Ho-Ho's.

1.  Pick upbeat songs.  This is key.  I can't run to slower, chiller bands such as Explosions in the Sky or Moby.  No, no.  What you need are songs with a fast tempo, cause your feet will want to match it.  Pick a faster song, and you can improve your times.


2. Pick songs you actually like.  So, with this being said, don't just go and get all the techno and rave songs you can.  Once, I was surprised by Journey's "Separate Ways", which I had put on my playlist as a semi-joke.  But, it came on one time, and I was able to push ahead, focusing on my love of classic rock instead of my deflated lungs and lead legs.

3. Skip songs as you run.  If a song comes on you don't like / want.  Skip it.  It's your life, take some control!

4. Breathe.  This is another great thing about music.  During that silence between songs, I've realized that I breathe pretty loudly about 1/4 of my way into a run.  But, when that music is playing, I don't care who hears.  So, I'm able to suck in that air and not care who's listening.

5. Turn up the Volume.  This one took some experimenting, but I've found turning up the volume helps me run faster.  You can really get into those songs, you know?  I'd say I usually listen to my iPod around the halfway mark.  But, when running, it's closer to 3/4.  Just one more thing to push you.

6. Pick songs that yell at you.  So, you like your song, it's upbeat, and the volume is up.  The last things that helps me run faster are songs a little outside my usual listening - throw in some Coheed and Cambria, mewithoutYou, Family Force Five... it's almost like a mini-Brooks Beless yelling at you to keep going.




Bryce's Top Ten Music to Listen to While Running:  


- Stretching - 
10. Arcade Fire - Ready to Start - This song gets me pumped up.  Starts off slow, builds in some layers...  But, I'm a little obsessed with this album right now, so it may be biased.


- Starting off -
9. mewithoutYou - Nice and Blue - I've found this hard drum beat to be the perfect tempo for me to start running.  Plus, they start yelling, and man!- it just gets me going!
8. Arcade Fire - Wake Up - Again, starts off slow (maybe a little too slow).  But, I usually just start listening to the song and forget I'm running.  (I want to actually start waking up to this song.)


- Running - 
7. mewithoutYou - Bullet to Binary - One of my favorites.  Early mewithoutYou is screamo mewithoutYou.  At one point, they're yelling in French.  What's not to love?   
6. Lecrae - Go Hard - This one always gets me.  With Lecrae shouting 'Go Hard or Go Home,' I start thinking, "You're right Lecrae, I'm gonna go hard, cause I don't wanna go home!!  ARRRRGH!!"


- Pushing Through the Pain -
5. Switchfoot - Bullet Soul - About the 3/4 mark, I need music I like to listen to and forget my pain.  So, this catchy tune usually takes me away from my pain.
4. Journey - Separate Ways - Once, I was running in some really hot weather, and felt like quitting.  Then, I heard the guitars at the beginning, and had a complete out-of-body-experience. Also, it makes me think of this scene in 'Yes Man' (especially the end).  Works like a charm...
3. Rush - The Spirit of Radio - Again, if this comes on at the end, it's such a surprise.  I end up getting lost in Neil Peart's drumming prowess.


- Finishing - 
2. Coldplay - Viva la Vida - For me, I like a really good song at the end which, I don't know, just lifts your spirits.  I imagine this song to be playing as I run into the olympic stadium or something.
1. Edison Glass - The Jig is Up - Not only my top running song, but one of my faves anytime.  The message behind this amazing song inspires me to finish strong as much as the music.

Alright, now get off the computer, grab the iPod, and get fit! 

Battlestar Galactica: A Beginner’s Guide

STOP.  Don’t skip over this post; don’t just mark as ‘read’ 

Yes, the title of the show (and now this blog post) is SEVERLY nerdy.  Please, just read over some facts about why I think the show is accessible to all.

1. You don’t have to be a Sci-Fi fan to enjoy this show.

            This is not Star Wars, nor Star Trek.  After watching five minutes of the show, you will see it as a demi-LOST, only in space. (but not Lost in Space) 

2. The show is about characters, not Sci-Fi gizmos.

            The producers say in an extra features – “We don’t really care how people will make coffee on spaceships or use light-speed.  We wanted to focus on making characters and a story people will enjoy, not fancy machines.” 

3. “Thou shalt be real.”

            This is one of the first rules the producers decided on when making the show.  They didn’t want a clean, Star-Trekkish ship.  They wanted one that actually looked like people lived (and died) there. 

4. You do not have to know anything about the original show.

            And, from what I gather, they’ve changed a lot of things anyways (which makes the hardcore fans upset.)

5. Dr. Baltar is an antagonist.

            If you do actually check out the show, this is very helpful.  I watched the whole first season and was so pissed at this guy.  But, apparently we’re supposed to hate him.  He slipped by my radar as a narcissistic good guy; don’t be fooled, he’s technically an antagonist.  This will help you enjoy the show so you don’t have to try to like him when you are screaming at the TV.

SUMMING UP

            So, give this show a chance.  I enjoyed the first season (all I’ve seen).  On my (limited) TV show judging scale, I would place BG third – LOST, Arrested Development, Battlestar Galactica, Burn Notice, The Office.  (And if you know me, you know I love Burn Notice… )

Overall, the show has intriguing characters and a stellar storyline.  Also, when the whole human race is being destroyed, some tough ethical decisions come up.  When you throw all of this in the oven, out comes a very intelligent, emotional TV drama.

Check it out, the cool people at IMDB didn’t give it 9/10 for nothing. 

B R Y C E

PS Also, note that the ‘first’ episode was a three-part, three-hour miniseries.  Keep that in mind for viewing time.  Split it up.  Or don’t?

CUBE INVASION!!!11!!!

Got some time to waste?  Want to end up with a nerdy desktop?  Then check out CubeeCraft!

\

You’re welcome.

Bryce

3 6 5

So, I joined a cult on flickr last spring called 365 days.  It's basically a bunch of crazy photographers with a simple idea.  You take a self-portrait.  Every day.  For a year.  I began the journey last year, but only made it halfway-ish.  I decided to give it up when the Forge started.  

Not this time.  8/1/2010 = Day 1.  Actually, I’m pretty excited to start again.  I haven’t touched my camera since the end of the Forge in May.  I already have a few new ideas. 

The best thing about the project was it always kept my mind going in photography mode.  After handling the camera, every day, for 148 or so days, things really started to click. 

Now, the only hurdle is – what do I call it?  Last year, it was simply 365days.  But, what about this time?  365 v.2?  threesixfive?  365-2010? 

I’m sure I’ll figure it out soon…

Also, all photo posts will go here: clickmeclickmeclickme

B R YC E

[[originally written 7-30-10]]

Faithful Faithful Faithful

When we visited Bet She'an in Israel, our tour guide Marty was unusually frustrating with us.  He asked us what the disciples had to offer the then-modern city.  Bet She'an had theaters, colleges, running water, and temples for every "spiritual need."  We sat and told him an entire list of things Christianity offered, and each time he told us how his Roman city met that need.

Later that day, Marty told us what the disciples had to offer.  It wasn't any theological theorem or proof.  It was simply their story.  Marty proceeded to tell us his story.  It was simply that God is faithful, faithful, faithful.  Marty had gone through some rough, rough times, including a sudden divorce.  Yet, each time, God revealed his purpose and blessed him.  More than once, when Marty needed a car, someone would approach him and offer him one!

I tell you all of this to share that this has been my story for the last month.  Every need that has come my way has been met.

First, my job at UT Southwestern was totally unexpected.  I had applied here in late March and heard nothing for a month and a half.  Then, I had two interviews within a week at UT!  Both involved research and were looking for a short (1-2 year) commitment.   Very quickly, I landed a job and was moving to Dallas.

Naturally, I needed a place to stay.  I made arrangements to stay with some family in Denton for a time.  This was a huge blessing as I could focus on starting my job, etc for a few weeks.  I looked into apartments and found a decently priced one near my work.  I found it the second day looking for apartments!

Now, my Honda is falling apart quickly.  First, the air compressor went out, so I don't have any A/C.  Then, my car overheated on the highway last week.  I think it's stable for now, but I'm not sure.  However, after everything else, what do I have to fear?  I am confident that even if my car dies, it's not only God's plan, but it's for something even better.

I was taught a huge lesson that day as well.  All my life, I've had this fear of... well, people.  I didn't want to be late for fear of my boss not liking me, I guess.  But, this stems from a larger fear of impressing, wanting people to like me.  But, that took a huge hit when I showed up an hour and a half late.  My boss understood, and things went on as normal.  It's allowed me to realize some things are more important than others.  A relationship won't be broken over some sort of bad impression or a mistake.  That was huge for me.

Anyways, I'm amazed at how fast things have gone here.  Through the craziness of the past month, God has been my rock.  Moreover, He's been shaping me to rely on Him each day.  "Abide with me, and I will abide with you."

As a sidenote, I can't stop listening to Gungor's CD Beautiful Things.  Every track on there is pure gold and really reminds me of my relationship with God.   Here's some lyrics to chew on:

You called and You shouted

You broke through my deafness

You flashed and you shone

Dispelled all my blindness

You breathed Your fragrance on me

Late have I loved You

I drew in Your breath

And I keep on breathing

I’ve tasted I’ve seen

And now I want more

You breathed Your fragrance on me

Late have I loved You

365 Days, Round 2?

So, last year, I did this challenge with a group on Flickr.  Take a (creative) self-portrait every day for 365 days.  I decided to end it just before the Forge, to focus there.

But, I think I want to start again...

Here's a link to last year's shots: 365 Days

Transitioning

Having a real job is different.  It's not terrible, I just need to get used to the new schedule - going to bed earlier, getting home late, remembering to eat breakfast...  

Anyways, hopefully I'll be in a routine soon and can update more often.  Right now, I'm just dead tired.... 

Bryce 

Video Blog 1: Intro + Big News

Video Blog 1 from Bryce on Vimeo.

Lancelot

So, I took my advice from a few posts ago, and read a book - Lancelot by Walker Percy.  I'm not going to try and tie it into LOST, because that's done and gone.  But, I did enjoy the book.  I'm not going to go into much detail right now, but I did want to share an interesting quote.

In the book, the main character comes to an awakening of sorts.  He realizes he's been doing the same thing, everyday, for the past twenty years, a slave to his habits.  But now, shocked out of his shell by an event (that's a whole other story...), he begins to really live.  This is a snippet of his take on 'time.'

"No, that's not the mystery.  The mystery lies in the here and now.  The mystery is: What is one to do with oneself?  As you get older you begin to realize the trick time is playing, and that unless you do something about it, the passage of time is nothing but the encroachment of the horrible banality of the past on the pure future.  The past devours the future like a tape recorder, converting the pure possibility into banality.  The present is the tape head, the mouth of time."

Like I said, I'll try to give more thoughts on the book after it digests some more.  It's an interesting story, told in the second person, by a man in a nuthouse.  As he retells some crazy events of his life, we also get his commentary about life and time...  that's all you'll get for now though.  Anyways, the quote has been motivating me lately, so I thought I'd share it.

Life in Transition: Part 2 - Teleportation

Why haven't we figured this one out yet?  It would make it a lot easier to go to an interview in Dallas if I could just step through some portal here in Kansas City.  Forget about colliding atoms in the underground tunnel in Europe, we need to focus our efforts on something practical!  But, by the time they do get around to teleportation, it'll probably be too late...

That's alright though, because I figured it out.  Yep, I did it.  On Monday, I went from Kansas City to Dallas with little physical effort.  Now, it took about 8 hours and I had to make some bathroom stops mid-teleportationizing, but that's just details. . .

The point is I ended up in Dallas for my job interview.  And, just to prove I could, I teleported back to Kansas City yesterday, by the same means...

Alright, forget about the teleportation.  Let me get serious for a second.  I'm really excited for these jobs in Dallas.  There's a few reasons why, but the most important is this: I've never really earned a job all on my own before.  I worked for three years at a restaraunt in high school, but my cousin was the manager, so I was a shoo-in.  Then, in college, I worked with the newspaper, and my good friend was the editor.  Even with Pine Cove, my good friend Indiana Jones was the program director.  At the VA after college - my grandpa was on the research board!  It seems that everywhere I've been, I've gotten in because I knew someone.

But now, with these jobs in Dallas, I have no connections.  If I do end up with a job, it won't be because of a boss's order.  It feels like a real start, you know?

 - - -

It seems like each time I write here, I get an important phone call.

Just a few minutes ago, I got a call from the people I interviewed with this week.  In their coded language of policy, they told me they were sending off my information to HR as a 'preferred candidate,' while assuring me that HR makes the final decision. . .  I'm taking this to mean they want me!  Building expectations?  You betcha!

LOST Doesn't Have to End . . . Pick up a Book!

So, LOST is over...

But, the fun doesn't have to end.  The writers, Carlton and Damon have mentioned many times how much the Lost Books have meant to them.  I saw a good interview with them; their advice was to 'read, read, read.'  By throwing the books in, they can delve into deep, complex themes they didn't have time to fully develop in the show.

I'm not gonna read them all or anything crazy, but it's a good list . . .

Wide Open

 

Good Day

Good Day
Originally uploaded by blazon_

Rollin' by...

Life in Transition: Part 1 - A Rude Awakening

Let me fill you in . . . 

My life is in transition - the state of moving from one chapter to the next.  I'm moving from the mega-maturation process of the Forge to securing a full-time job in Dallas.  And let me be the first to tell you - life in transition is CRAZY.  I was free from the craziness for a bit, but now, it has caught up with me again . . . 

For 11 days, I was living with my Forge friends, first on our post-Forge trip through Texas, and then in Dallas.  I was able to mooch off of the Seifreids for a few days until my interview with UT Southwestern.  The interview went extremely well - they're looking for someone to work full-time for a short period (1-1/2 years); basically, this job is made for people looking to go on to grad school, like me.  

But, things were tough in Dallas.  It was great to still be with a few Forgies, but it still felt like the Forge hadn't really ended - I had no closure.  So, after 11 days of mooching, I came back 'home' to Missouri.  

I say 'home', because for the first time, it really doesn't feel like home.  With the job and the thought of moving to Dallas in my sights, I feel like a guest here.  Not to mention, I've spent the past week going through all my old junk, boxing up the stuff I want to take and throwing the rest away.

And then, this morning, I literally woke up to a phone call for an interview.  Now, I have an interview in Dallas next week; the craziness has caught back up with me.  

Things were quiet for a bit, but now more hard decisions are coming.  With either position, I'm likely to START around the first of June.  That means I could be LIVING and WORKING in Dallas in less than 10 days!  

So, that phone call awakened me in more ways than one.  Time to get moving.  

Pluto

He was hanging around while I was cleaning my room. 

"The Jig is Up"

Obsessed.  I cannot stop listening to this song by Edison Glass.


It's such a huge reminder to me that I do not know everything, I can't even 'see' everything, and that I need to lean on His understanding...


Check it out here ---> The Jig is Up


Then go get Edison Glass' whole album!


"Your eyes see further than mine.  I can see as far as the sun and the moon in the sky.  Your hands are warmer than mine.  I'm still alive, but I can't feel the warmth from inside.


How can you say the warmth makes you?  How can you say your sight leads you home?


I asked with the right intent and bright eyes, but what I can't seem to figure out is how and why I can't seem to handle this.


I'll wait for Your words
I'll trust You'll say!


When we can't handle it all you'll say!


How can you say the warmth makes you?  How can you say a sight leads you?  How can you say?!


Your eyes see further than mine.  I can see as far as the sun and the moon in the sky.  I'll wait for your words, I'll trust you'll say!"


Yep, can't get enough of it.  


B R Y C E