People Watching in Vegas

I'm sitting in the McCarran airport on the first of two layovers. Since I find people watching to be such a fascinating experience, I thought I would share some of my thoughts.

First, and foremost, people are way too concerned with looking good in the airport. I mean, really? Are you really looking to pick someone up in the airport or is that just some form of self-esteem boost that you get when flying? Now, I know what you're thinking...Bryan, I bet you're just as concerned about yourself as the person sitting across from you in the terminal. There is some truth to that, but I would also like to think that the self-awareness factor trumps...But I could be wrong, and it wouldn't be the first time. I think God created these for the purpose of spreading the fashion techniques lost from ancient Egypt.

Who actually plays the slots in the middle of an airport? Yes, obviously I can see the people sitting there, but I guess I'm wondering "Why?" I mean, I don't gamble, but if I was going to, I would rather do it in a different environment than an airport. I just seems so...cheesy...stupid...wasteful...insert your own adjective. And yet, they rush to it as if it's a "new" phenomenon. I wish I could just get inside of their heads and see what's really going on in there, which leads me to self-reflection #2: I should have been a psychologist. I think God created these people to sharpen all of the rest of humanity.

Then there are the people who look bored out of their minds. I guess you can group me in that category. A two-hour layover will do that to you. Then again, the three-hour that I have coming up will be fun. At least I have my laptop. Some people look as if they are going to fall asleep with their eyes open, because they dont' know what else to do. If a fly were to land on their nose, I'm pretty sure that they would try to grab it to pluck off its wings - dumb action is better than none at all, right? I think God created them to have fun, but they forgot it back at home.

Oh, and apparently not EVERYone has iPods these days. I guess I'm used to walking around with my youth group, in which everyone seems to "need" their portable music device just to function. Granted, I'm sitting here with a number of older individuals who might have a heart attack if the music was turned up too loudly. I think God created them for a relationship, but they missed that part of the Bible.

I also feel sorry for the people that are turned away at the terminal. Whether they missed their flight or were on standby, it's still rather sad to see them walk away dejected. They're definitely not as fun as the people who run on the people movers, because they're afraid that walking for themselves will strain a muscle. I think God created them for comic relief, but they haven't been given a microphone yet.

Oh, and I LOVE the guy carrying a dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts onto the plane. How wrong is that? The people on the plane will probably kill him before they even take off. Just reminds me of when God created Cain...not sure that I have any other comments on that subject.

Finally, I have to wonder about the airport workers. I mean, they must have a wonderful time watching someone walk by four times due to the fact that they got lost and didn't listen to the directions the first time. Oops...five times. I typed too soon. Interestingly enough, "I Will Survive" is playing (when not interrupted by the annoyingly monotonous pages coming through the speakers) in the background and it seems a very fitting song for that poor lady. If I see her walk by again, I won't bother informing you. God created her...for a good reason. A very good reason and I'll try to remember to ask when I reach heaven.

Oh, and the guy who's shirt got pulled up in his backpack and is showing off his completely white mid-section.

And the guy with his "Vegas" shirt!

And the people wearing pajamas.

And the guy wearing his unsightly white undershirt in public...must not be married...

Oh - the guy in the muscle shirt with an interesting tan line.

And the lady who keeps answering her phone behind me, only to get the person on the other end to hang up as quickly as possible. Isn't that why they invented voicemail?

And the young parents who have never taken their three- and five-year-old kids out into public and are now not sure what to do with them.

And the guy wearing an outfit so similar to mine that it makes me wonder about my own wardrobe selection...

Oh, and I almost missed it! The lady who wears the "CHANGE" vest. Apparently she cashes in change for the people playing the slots...that's funny. We've moved away from an automated change dispenser and made the process more "customer-service friendly."

I guess I figured out what the lady behind me is doing on the phone. I guess she's returning all of her "voicemails;" but she says "so" and "um" a LOT. That would definitely annoy me...oh wait - it actually is.

And lastly, the guy who looks like he should belong to the Russian mafia, but is on "vacation" and trying to figure out how to use his portable music device.

Man, this is so fun when you get started - oh that lady looks like my mom - that I don't want to stop, but will if you happened to keep reading this far. Have a great day!

Joshua, My Colleague

I submit to you this statement on behalf of the exceptional work completed by Josh Flick during his term of service in my office. Rest assured that this is not an official document, but rather a personal reflection as a grateful colleague.

There are very few men to whom I can attribute the mark of integrity without reservation or hesitation. I, for one, cannot even attribute that quality to myself, because I know my inner spirit all too well. Josh, however, is the exception to the rule, and the following will outline his distinguishable service to the office and university.

I will start at the end and work backward, since today is still fresh in my mind. Up until the very last minute, anyone who did not know Josh personally would have thought that he was a long-term employee and would arrive at work the next morning for another dayʼs worth of work. On his very last day, he was moving furniture for the very people that were replacing him; he was filing, calling, helping through the duration of the day rather than wasting time around the office; he was doing everything that he normally did to provide an honest dayʼs work. Even when the temptation to leave early occurred to him, he stayed through his normal working hours. I asked myself why someone would do this, but came up with only one answer: integrity.

But one day should not be the entire measure of this man. Every single day, with the exception of a handful of days which required his attention elsewhere, Josh came in on or before time, took a short lunch, and then stayed until the office closed. There was no need for him to give an extra half hour or hour each day, but he did, because he was asked to keep his shift late. Could he have taken a longer lunch? Yes, but there was always someone or something that needed his attention and his full attention was continually given.

When told that he was working his last day as if it were his first, his response was, “Why should today be any different? Why should today change?” What I find most unfathomable about this situation is the fact that Josh was not here to be taught, but to teach. In each and every moment of his work, he was dedicated to making the life of someone else more pleasing, more productive or more secure in Christ. If anyone deserves to be blessed of God it is him.

I normally do not consider that any human should deserve God's blessing, but if I changed my opinion, Josh would be one of the select few. So I pray God's richest blessings upon him for his influence, his character, his integrity, and his continual Christ-like love. When someone proves to be a true Christian, I think they should be recognized, if only to show others that it is possible to do. May his example shine for others to catch and adopt.

Blessings Joshua!

The State of Contentment

In Philippians 4, Paul talks discusses contentment: what is contentment; how do we view contentment; why contentment is necessary. The more I consider Paul's words, the more I am inclined to think of him as super-human. Was he really content in every situation or was he just talking for the sake of encouragement?? Knowing Paul, as the rhetorician that he was, he probably wasn't talking to just fill space. So, if that is the case, how did he do it?

Thinking back on Paul's past, he was ship-wrecked, beaten and left for dead, imprisoned, and ultimately sent to face Caesar. Not that I'm equating myself with such a great man, but I see myself as very similar to Paul. I am starting to think that God had to continually break down Paul's pride. Growing up, I always thought of Paul as the "example" - that the stories in the Bible, while true, were given to use for encouragement. But, the older I get, the more I realize that Paul had some personal issues that had to be addressed. Maybe he could only learn contentment after God had allowed him to face so many terrible situations.

Therefore, I'm inclined to think that Paul could only find contentment after allowing himself to be made free in Christ. For Paul, that journey took him through trial after trial. Could he have learned after one major catastrophe? Sure! But do you? Do I? But please do not confuse contentment with complacency. Those are two very different words, but are often equated to mean the same thing. God could only speak to Paul, after he had been emptied of Paul.

So what does this mean in terms of life today? Well, the most immediate answer that comes to mind is that I have to understand that, despite my circumstances, I am going to face trials. Each of those hardships is going to give me an option or a choice: do I allow God to change my life or do I continue to resist His perfect and pleasing will? Often, I have the audacity to tell God that my way is better. Once I finish stating my case, He says, "OK, let's try this again." After about the fourth or fifth attempt, God finally gets my attention and I start to learn contentment for that particular situation.

For me, the process of learning contentment goes in stages. While I am a very quick learner at work or with other skills, I can't seem to master the idea that God's plan is ALWAYS better than mine. So the tango that He and I dance, seems to be a long one. My encouragement to you is this: when you hear God saying, "Go," "Stop," "Wait," listen to Him. He really does have a good inkling for what should happen to keep the world spinning.

Letters to My Wife, Chapter 5

Do you remember the day that I asked you to marry me? Good grief - I was so nervous! All that day I couldn't get you off of my mind. I rehearsed the speech probably a thousand times, continually going over the nuances. In fact, I think I had proposed and responded with a 'no' about half of those times.

As I think back to that day, I have to remember the journey that took me there. We both know that I was arrogant and cocky before I met you. In fact, if we're being honest, my inner monologue probably went something like, "Why wouldn't she want me? I'm a pretty good candidate, so there's no way she can say no." I would probably have to apologize every day for the rest of my life if you weren't as forgiving as you are. I often ask myself what I was thinking with that attitude, but the only thing that I can come up with is, "I wasn't thinking."

Despite all of this, however, the thing that finally led me to ask you the question was the absence of all pride in our relationship. I had spent so many years thinking that I had life, love, and the pursuit of happiness figured out, that I completely lost track of the real goal: the journey. After spending some time with Pappy one day, he decided to share something that I never thought I would ever hear leave his lips. He said, "Bryan, your grandmother and I probably should've been divorced a thousand times over." Imagine my shock after hearing a man I fully esteem admit to failure. I couldn't believe that he would say something like this - not MY Pappy.

After trying to quiet my racing mind and get back on track with his story, I finally heard him say, "The reason we didn't quit was because of the children. When we both thought that there was no solution possible, we let go of our own idea of what was right in order to make our family work." Well, this brought Pappy down from the level of demi-god to human, and frankly, I wasn't sure if I liked it.

But I mulled over his statements and brought myself to the point of understanding the true meaning behind his words. The marriage was not about me. The relationship was not about me. In fact (and I know most of you already know this), nothing has ever been about me. Only after I realized this could I approach you with giving up your life for me. I couldn't ask you to do something that I was not willing to do myself; therefore, I was never going to ask you until I was sure that I could give myself up.

I had so much trouble withe my proposal speech, because nothing I could say made sense. Asking you to marry me was one-sided. Having you for my wife is one-sided. I've always come out on the winning end and in most cases I feel guilty for that. But, since you said 'yes', I figure that you realized this too and were still willing to go for it. And for that, I thank you!

Why Men Anger Me

Wait - aren't you a man? Yes, but I still get angry at myself...

I was watching Memoirs of a Geisha last night, because I think it's a wonderfully made film, but I found myself getting more and more ticked, the longer I watched it. I know that Japan has (and still does) a different society, but there are some things that should just be kept sacred.

For those of you unfamiliar with the world of the geisha, it is often seen through the lens of misconception - mostly due to the U.S. involvement in Japan during the time after World War II. But the life of a geisha originated from the idea that men needed to be entertained, because their wives and children were not the end-all to their family lives. In fact, Japan had such a loose culture when it came to sexual pleasure, that the wives were completely aware of the habit of courtesans and often encouraged their husbands to visit them. Geisha, however, were seen as the artists, not the prostitutes. While there were times in which sex was involved, they prided themselves on being able to entertain and entice men without the physical attachment.

But my problem doesn't so much lie with the fact that geisha separated themselves from the average prostitute, rather it has to do with the fact that there were courtesans in the first place. At what point did it become OK to live outside the marriage for things that a wife is supposed to provide? AND, when did it become acceptable to swap women as if they were property?

When I read Genesis 2, I see that God provided one woman for Adam, and that to be a compatible/suitable helper. As we read throughout the Bible, despite Hebrew culture, we see that women are to be respected and cared for. So when I see what has become of humanity, it disgusts me. Don't get me wrong, I'm as much a sinner as the next person; but I see that we are failing to produce men that stand up for what is right. In fact, we have plenty of men that fail to even stand up for their wives...If your wife has been disrespected or is in trouble, GOOD GRIEF, do something about it.

I know we have the saying, "Women: Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em," but I'm really starting to question the validity of manliness, chivalry, and virtue in today's society. And often, I think that I'm so sensitive to the matter, because of my own inability to avoid the pitfalls of society.

Males, if you want to call yourselves men, then I suggest we get back to the basics of Christian living. Honor her, because she is to be our "crown" (Proverbs 12).

The God of Bryan

I've been fascinated with the way that God is portrayed in the Old Testament - especially through the Pentateuch. Often people refer back to Him as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, which reveals an intimate ownership or claim. I understand that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were the patriarchs of the Israelite tradition, but then He's also referenced as the God of Moses - the spiritual leader of that same tradition.

I'm guessing that Abraham didn't actually refer to God as the "God of Abraham", but he did claim Him as his Leader, Guide, and Creator. Abraham revealed Him to others and encouraged those same people to follow in his footsteps, in worshipping the God that created all life in the universe. If I am going to follow in Abraham's footsteps, I too want to lead others in worshipping our Lord and Savior. But, in order to do that, I want people to know that He is MY God...not just the God of my parents, not just the God of my church, but my God - my intimately close, but reverently far God.

When I say that He is the God of Bryan, it is my way of allowing accountability in public. People may say, "Wait Bryan, I thought you said that He was your God? So why haven't you proven it lately?" But, I would rather claim Him publicly and fail, then live very well but not bring anyone along with me on the journey. Doesn't He deserve to have our praise and our glory? Doesn't He deserve to be recognized for His amazing power and might? Doesn't He deserve my full and unswerving love? Then He also deserves my acknowledgement of these things.

I hope that you claim Him as your God. Not that He can be contained within a box or bent to your will; but rather that He is the only thing in your life worth living for. Give it a shot!

Letters to my Wife, Chapter 4

I'm thinking about the first time that I said, "I love you."

We've talked about the fact that love doesn't come easy to me. You know, as well as I do, that love is quite possibly the farthest thing from natural that I can think of. And yet, it's the most important command outlined in the Bible. So, when I think of all of the people to whom I have said, "I love you," most of them have been "I'm really trying hard to follow the commands of our Lord, so I am going to put forth every effort to make sure that love is a priority in our relationship" statements. But the first time that I made the statement to you, it was as natural as if I were saying it to one of my family members - it just made sense.

In Genesis 2:18, God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable (suitable) to him." This is the first time in which God actually notices something in His creation that is "not good". He was obviously concerned about the well-being of Adam; and since He had created Adam in His image, there was the need for a relational component.

I used to wonder about marriages in the Old and New Testaments. I had this notion that everything was a business deal - cold-hearted and political. But the more I consider God's original intent, I see that He was taking care of our needs (and I don't just mean sex and procreation). He was literally providing us with a suitable partner for sharing life.

So when I consider the first time that I said, "I love you," I remember the feeling of completion, knowing that when I was with you, I was "completely and incandescently happy" (to quote Pride and Prejudice - yes, I did). Being with you is no longer about who's right or wrong, although we know that still comes into play. It's no longer about status, power or pride, even if I do think that I'm the luckiest man in the world and that no one else compares. And it no longer seems to be about the competition over who wins in the end. It's just contentment - knowing that I am perfectly in the will of God for my life and that I have someone with whom I can share everything. And that's why saying, "I love you," was not forced, but seemed as natural as everything else in life.