Browney Bites - Shower Thoughts and General Insights

Meet Allard, Allard is the Chief Engineer aboard the General MacArthur, a 24,000 HP - 32" Cutter-head Suction Dredge. It is the largest of its kind in North America and the Western World. I was privileged one afternoon to sit down with him to learn all about the dredge and what goes in to keeping it running.  Allard hails from the Netherlands and surrounding region, an epicenter for world class maritime industry and coastal engineering. Like his father, Allard became an expert in vessel operations and keeping the enormous steel sea creatures running constantly. Unlike the steel skiff your neighbor may have rusting away in their yard, the vessels Allard maintains are as complex as the space shuttle and require constant attention to manage the massive pumps, enormous diesel engines and generators, thousands of volts of switchgear and electronics, and of course the 25 plus human souls living aboard who need food, clothing, and shelter.  After sitting down with Allard for about th...

 The spirit you receive does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." - Romans 8:15 How many times have I messed up and then been in fear that God will send down a bolt of lightning to kill me because he's sick and tired of my shenanigans? Short answer: too many times to count. There are plenty of stories in scripture of God exhibiting his anger towards people. However, when looking one layer deeper, it evident that God's affinity for his children is enormous. We are not slaves, but sons and daughters. God is a good father who cares about us. He rejoices with us, cries with us, jumps, mourns, defends, laughs, sings, etc...  A few (thousand) years ago, Israel was turning their backs on God and was about to get theirs. After a couple of pages of what seems to be Israel about to get seriously punished, God responds with this: "Therefore, I am not g...

I was in San Diego in November 2017 preparing as best man for my best friend's wedding later that month. I rented a little beach condo less than a block away from the North end of Pacific Beach. I invited some friends, rented a surfboard, and was ready to call it home for a while. Something about being on the water has always fascinated me. Looking out beyond the horizon has and always will inspire an ultimate sense of awe and wonder. From my eyes alone, I cannot technically see what's beyond the horizon, which is part of what makes it so amazing. Something is there, yet I cannot see it. Beyond the horizon there is wind, light, life, and mystery. Anything your mind places there is possible. Despite my limitations to see past the horizon, there is one thing that has full permission and ability to go past the horizon every day. That "thing" is the sun. Not only does the sun go into the unknown, it brings light to the unknown, therefore making it known. From my poin...

Bob Goff in his new book, Everybody Always, writes: "Instead of telling people what they want (or need), tell them who they are."  I think that most people are aware of their shortcomings, and probably hear about those more than their strengths. When one of my little league baseball players strikes out, they know it's counterproductive and are probably somewhat embarrassed. They don't need to hear that from their teammates and coaches also. As their coach, and with longer term goals in mind, it's my job to get them back to the plate batting feeling confident. The best way to do that is to tell them who they are in that moment. Telling them what they need to correct at that very moment is nothing but counterproductive, as there is no way it can be fixed in short time. Instead, I shout, "Hey Jimmy - show em' who you are man! You're a beast up there! Flex your muscles!"  Getting these players to be the best they can be requires placing an identi...

Well... "...If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probably explanation is that I was made for another world..." - C.S. Lewis This just really puts "it all" into perspective. Insert what ever desire, accomplishment, failure, longing, or maybe even a relationship into "it all." Why do our greatest accomplishments, material items, and experiences not satisfy our deepest longings and passions?  Maybe you and I were made for something more than our selves and this world. Maybe this is a good thing. Maybe there is something so big, in which we cannot comprehend, that not only influences the entire universe, but also our day to day lives. It seems that these deepest desires which cannot be satisfied by this world were instilled so deep into our very being that there is no full satisfaction here on earth. Despite this, we are unable to lose hope in experiencing complete satisfaction. It's as if these desires ...

"And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The Second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment great than these" Mark 12:30-31 I am 99.9% convinced that if "we the people" spent more of our time loving our neighbors versus trying to change things that are nearly out of our control (I have a few in mind if you want to ask me about them. We are all guilty.) we would: 1. See more positive results 2. Develop stronger communities 3. See the needy's needs met better, faster, and more genuinely 4. See personal accountability go up 5. See violence go down 6. See overall quality of life skyrocket If you grew up like I did, you were taught to plan ahead by thinking at a higher level, and knowing how do get down into the weeds when you need to. I think the best approach to making Chicago (and other hurting areas, even the entire US)...

I do not remember why, but months ago I was watching a University of Texas commencement speech given by Naval Admiral William H. McRaven. I recently heard his name come up in a podcast I was listening to, and decided to share a practical thought from his speech: "If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter. If you can't do the little things right, you will never do the big things right." If you haven't already noticed, I have great respect for our armed forces. I believe they do a dang good job in what they do. Therefore, considering what these men and women have to say is well worth your time.  Link to Adm. McRaven's Speech PS. Adm. McRa...

About a year ago, I heard of Dog Tag Brewing. I recently made it a point to go pick up some their Legacy Lager. 100% of Dog Tag's profits are used to partner with Gold Star Families who are building legacies of our nation's fallen soldiers. WOW! Additionally, each can shares a dog tag of a recent fallen soldier, building their legacy and paying respect and gratitude for their service. In a broken nation, and a broken world, it is great to hear about Dog Tag bettering communities by starting with family's and America's servicemen and women. May these fallen soldier's legacies live on. Check out dog tag here:  https://www.dogtagbrewing.org/ PS., the beer is good.

I think a common component of success, or even survival, is having the foresight to see what can go wrong, and being prepared for those things. The new locks MWH designed for the Panama Canal are located near two major fault lines. Earthquakes can be very severe in the region. In order to build a successful product, these new locks had to be designed to withstand catastrophic earthquakes and remain in operation. A large earthquake has not hit yet, but the new locks will be ready.

Embrace  the suck. It's a side effect of growth. Don't let difficult things stand in the way of your goal, mission, or calling. Instead, channel it and use it to your advantage.

I am an engineer, formally, and naturally. I like to fix things, and do the impossible. If you were to give me a bag of marshmallows and ask me to build the Eiffel Tower from them, I would give it some serious thought. Ultimately, I like to make things work. My default attitude is that everything can work given the right pieces and circumstances. However, in life, we do not always have right pieces and circumstances. So in the meantime all you can do is  hope  they eventually come along. Part 1 - SUMMER 2008: Mark Bernthal and I decided to spend an entire day working odd jobs in Oak Park and River Forest so we could take the money we earned to go distribute McDonald's gift cards to the homeless in the Austin neighborhood in Chicago. We figured it would be a great way to go love on others and spread the love of Christ. After a full day of working, we rode our bicycles East on Chicago Ave, straight into Austin. If you have been to Austin, you know there is no shortage of peo...

Do your body a favor. Skip the cookies, and go for the jerky. 

Does dissatisfaction root from a lack of gratitude? Lack of gratitude is certainly not the only root of dissatisfaction, but it is certainly one of them. Many times I find myself dreaming of what's next, and how that next step can make my life better. A side effect of that has been discontentment in my current situation. The fact is, I have so so so (yes, times 3) many things to be grateful for. When I spend more time dwelling on those things, I find satisfaction in what God has blessed me with. Why me at a high end job in Chicago? Why me growing up in Oak Park? Why me with the education? Why me owning an SUV (4Runner to be exact)? The fact is, I have been blessed with these things, and I need to be a great steward of them while I have them. Lastly, I am not saying hunker down where you are at right now and never leave. Maybe it's time to move on to something else. You will know best. In the meantime, try stirring some gratitude into your coffee in the morning (and lay of...

I just told my coworker that I am going for a run this evening, to which he responded, "you're crazy, its like 10 degrees out." I responded, in my mind, "that's some weak sauce." Don't let being uncomfortable temporarily slow you down. No pain no gain has never been so real....just kidding, but it still does apply. So get out there, breath in that cold - crisp air, feel it in your lungs, and do your body a favor. 

In case you do not know, I decided to move to the West side of Chicago this past month. I have been there for nearly a month now, and have already added a few interesting chapters to this adventure. The one I am writing about now is how we have not had any heat in the apartment. November has been full of many temperature ups and downs, so some days/nights have been easier than others. Two nights ago, the temperature finally seemed to take a final turn towards winter. Since, I have regularly measured temperatures in the 40's (F) in our living room and bedrooms. I really miss heat. It has a lot to offer. It offers:  A good nights rest Comfort during the day A desirable place to be Ability to work from home Time Many other items in an at-home setting I am hoping that the time item and good nights rest item caught your attention. Those two have really struck me, and here's why; The neighborhood I am living in has an extremely high poverty and unemployment rate. I mo...

Welcome to my first ever blog. I am 27 years old, and I have absolutely no idea where that puts me in the spectrum of ages of people starting their first blog. Just a little bit of background information about me which will help set the scene for this blog. 1. I am a practical person....hence why I am writing a numbered list and not getting all wordy. 2. Once again, I am practical. I like to make decisions based on overall benefit to my community, family, friends, environment, and lastly myself. 3. What feels good right now is hardly ever what's right. I intend to populate this blog with little tid-bits that I pick up, or dream up. They will be things that I want to remember for myself, and come back to in discussion with those who read this. Lastly, I am excited to start this blog so older sibling of pickles (yes, inside reference to maintain anonymity) can have a blog neighbor. I can't recall any one of our other friends doing this. I have always been very impresse...