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 . . .