Browney Bites - Shower Thoughts and General Insights

 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...

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...