Commence Post-Grad Life

It has now been an entire month since my graduation from Azusa Pacific University and this journey has been absolutely insane. So to catch everybody up, I am going to rewind to last semester and go from there.

This spring has been a roller coaster. To say that my last semester was difficult would be the understatement of the year. But the difficulties in my life did not come from academics. To be honest, I knew that I would not want to work hard during my last days in school so I took a very light last semester to focus on my relationships and future employment. Ironically, these were some of the most stressful and trying times I have experienced in a very long time. 

The end of college is a weird period in life. We are all told that college goes by fast, but jeez, it sure caught me by surprise. What I think was most difficult for me was to look back at how much I had grown and I realized that the majority of my growth actually occurred in the last few months of school. The first few years are very happy-go-lucky because everybody is spending long nights and weekends in community and there seems to be no end in sight. Then it suddenly hit me that everything is going to vanish in just a matter of days. Suddenly, I have to be very intentional with the few specific people that I desire to journey through the rest of my life with. I have to pick and choose. That sucks. Now, I sometimes scroll through Instagram and think to myself that almost 90% of these people, I will never see again. That is a sinking and gut-wrenching feeling. 

Suddenly, I have to be very intentional with the few specific people that I desire to journey through the rest of my life with. I have to pick and choose. That sucks.

However, that was not even the biggest of my worries. Getting a job was the true priority. I can't say that I applied for hundreds of jobs like many other students did. Rather, I applied for maybe a dozen. Most of them startups in the silicon beach, I got turned down from every single one of them. I was being ambitious and trying to prove that I am more than just an intern or a client relations coordinator (a body to answer phones) and it just was not working. My nervousness continued to grow as graduation creeped closer and closer. I wanted so badly to stay in Southern California and did everything I absolutely could to stay but it simply was not working. 


But there was always Drake Cooper back in Boise. Drake Cooper is a digital marketing and creative agency in the heart of Downtown Boise, Idaho and I had known a few of their employees and visited their office that previous winter for some preemptive job scouting. I remember falling in love with the people and culture there but just couldn't wrap my mind about moving back to Idaho. I really did not picture myself there are having a long-term future in the Treasure Valley. But one day I clearly remember venting about my job stresses to my friend Emmaleigh and she said to me "maybe you are just being completely blind to the fact that God has put a clear path in front of you." That struck me pretty hard. In my bitterness I continued to push for jobs anywhere outside of Idaho. 

"maybe you are just being completely blind to the fact that God has put a clear path in front of you."

I looked in Austria and Switzerland even. And then one day I caved in. I couldn't handle the stress anymore and I applied with Drake Cooper and got the job. Now here I am, in Boise, Idaho where I have no close friends and no college memories.

A little bit about my history in Boise. I have never actually lived here. I spent my high school years in a small town outside of the city called Nampa. Needless to say, the city of Nampa has about 50,000 people. LA metro has almost 30,000,000 citizens. You get the culture shock. 

When I was a sophomore at APU, my parents moved from Nampa to Boise and I would visit during Christmas. I really had no perspective of the city outside of snow and staying inside because I was just a guest at my parents' house. Boise was completely foreign to me in many ways.

This city is absolutely blowing my mind every single day.

Let me just preface this and say, boy was I wrong about Boise. This city is absolutely blowing my mind every single day. I don't even know where to begin when describing this community of people and businesses that look out for each other so deeply. I guess to start, I will say that I have never spent a summer here in the city and its sheer beauty has completely caught me off guard. The trees lining every sidewalk and the sun shining every morning gracefully brings out every reminder that Idaho is a unique state where outdoor adventure and daily life collide in every fashion. Everybody here is a passionate fisherman, snowboarder, skier, hiker, rafter, or some exotic outdoor activity that I have always wanted to try. Just about every weekend is spent here driving into the Sawtooth mountains and mountain biking or hiking to a hidden lake that reflects off the crystal blue sky. 

Even more impressive are the people here. Boise is one of the biking capitals of the country and it is everywhere here. I myself bike to work and pass hundreds of cyclists every morning. I the greenbelt is lined with families and children riding bikes or skateboarding until they run out of road. The drivers are patient and fellow cyclists treat you with respect. In its purest form, Boise is a city built for human powered transportation and they take a massive pride in it. Not having or even wanting to ever drive somewhere is a strange but beautiful concept.

Furthermore, the business community is very unique here as well. Boise is an extremely quickly growing startup community similar to Austin, Texas and Denver, Colorado. Taxes are some of the lowest in the nation and the culture thrives from local business. It is a prime area for adventurous entrepreneurs to plant roots for their next venture. And while the politics and city aura are in your favor, the business community here is so connected to each other, it blows my mind. Every owner knows every other businessperson in the city and they look out for each other. There is a family of people that all take pride in their passion for invention and risk and they support one another through business incubators, free lectures, and events for the budding entrepreneur. 

Every owner knows every other businessperson in the city and they look out for each other.

Finally, the night life (or evening life as it is here). Again, I have never spent a summer here in Boise. The way Boise is designed for human interaction should be an example to many cities around the country. There is ALWAYS something going on every evening. Whether its free live music from local artists, a beer tasting, art class, or local theater performance, it seems that when I leave work every evening, there is always some fun event going on downtown. It is impossible to get bored here.

Well, I miss many things that I loved about living in Los Angeles County. I miss the cultural diversity, for one.

So that's most of the good things. What do I struggle with? Well, I miss many things that I loved about living in Los Angeles County. I miss the cultural diversity, for one. Boise is getting a lot better but is still 85% Caucasian and it is frustrating. The Basque culture is huge here, but that is still just one other thing to see. I miss hearing different languages at local landmarks or while wandering the streets. I miss Chinatown and Little Tokyo and places like downtown in the arts district where people from all over the world collide over their passion for art and culture. I miss that terribly. 

I also miss some of the glamor of Los Angeles. Things like Griffith Observatory, Hollywood, the beach, hidden hotspots of the big city, and museums and galleries on every corner. Obviously, Southern California has a whole plethora of problems to deal with that simply do not exist in Boise, but nobody dreams of taking a vacation here (which is becoming less true every year). 

And of course, I miss my friends. It makes me sad to see many people I knew living together and going to Disneyland or the beach and just thinking that I have nobody here. I will find new people that will be a deep part of my life but it takes time. Heck, it took almost 4 years for me to really find my niche at APU.

So here I am now, living and working here full time. I have no college friends here, not even one. My entire network of friends is maintained through occasional social media updates (which mostly consist of weddings) and text threads on weekends.

My entire network of friends is maintained through occasional social media updates (which mostly consist of weddings)

It is awkward and difficult to say the least. I knew this would happen, so I chose to get very involved as quick as possible in the areas that I am most passionate about. I joined a church called Revolution 22, which was a new church started a couple years ago by the youth and ministry leaders at the church I attended in high school. I made goals to get to know as many people as I can at work. And on weekends, I try to take out an old friend from high school and catch up a bit. I still feel very much like a stranger in this city but things are looking up.

So, Drake Cooper: the most incredible workplace I could ever even dream of working at. Officially, I am a Backstage Pass Intern. There are seven of us and were are basically an all-in-one marketing team. More details will come, but in short, we create kick-ass marketing campaigns for real clients every day. On the formal side of things, Drake Cooper is an award winning agency that was founded just about 40 years ago. With about 50 employees we have our office in the heart of downtown Boise. We were ranked in the top 20 places to work in the United States for outdoorsy individuals 3 years in row. We just one gold for "Best in the West" which is a competition between all agencies in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. We are a team that looks out for each other and pushes integrity, leadership, and ambition in everybody that works with us. We specialize in digital marketing but do many things from events to social media and traditional marketing.

The Backstage pass program I am part of is built to both sew some talent but also keep on the front lines of marketing my letting completely new minds into the core developments of the company. We are interns, but we make big decisions.

On my very first day, I met the other 6 people and we were tasked with the words "We need to get kids in Idaho to go to college. You have an unlimited budget and we need it to be ready to go and in market by July. Any questions?" Obviously we were all really shocked and in a panic for a day or so. But after meeting with some other employees and brilliant minds in the organization, the were really just trusting us with real work and knew we could do it. Drake Cooper operates under the philosophy that if you take a bunch of really smart people and give them a problem, they will find a really powerful way to solve it. 

Drake Cooper operates under the philosophy that if you take a bunch of really smart people and give them a problem, they will find a really powerful way to solve it. 

That is exactly what happened to us. They remind us every day that we went to school and studied our fields for 4 years not to go out and make coffee but to make an impact and use our skills. With as much confidentiality that I am at liberty to share, we made a HUGE project that is going to reach teens all over the state and we are excited to see how it goes!

Every day, us 7 interns all ride our bikes to work and basically live in a conference room with couches and whiteboards from wall to wall. We have an endless supply of sticky notes and we execute crazy ideas for Drake Cooper's big clients. We order pizza, drink beer, and spend our evenings and weekends together hiking and biking. In just these 4 weeks, we have all become such close friends and challenge each other every day to be stronger leaders and make better work.

Drake Cooper operates on a very flat structure where we as interns have just as strong a voice as the creative director. The CEO comes and hangs out with us occasionally and generally just gives us good books and TED talks to watch to give us inspiration and learn from the best in the industry. What I love most about this company is hard to nail down but I think that I am in love with their attentiveness to everything that is going on in the industry and there is never bad idea, just and idea that hasn't bloomed yet. I have learned so much and have a stack of bout 20 books that I intend to read.

This is getting long and I could easily double this blog with my recent thoughts on culture, the Church, poverty, community, politics and education but I promised this would just be an update on my life to date.

In the near future, I will either be hired full-time by Drake Cooper or will look beyond into new horizons. Who knows? Maybe I will end up back in LA this fall. Until then, I have endless experiences to participate in here and I am soaking up every minute of it. 

If you want more information on Drake Cooper, check out their Vimeo or Website.

Thank you so much to all of you for listening to me and for taking part in the shaping of my life in one way or another. Shalom!

Sorry professor. I can't come to class today, I was diagnosed with senioritis.

When I first stepped foot, or rather, tires on the campus of Azusa Pacific University, I was a mess of emotions. I was nervous, scared, and in a foreign world full of new students and overexcited extroverts formerly known as Alpha Leaders. Yet amongst my mixed feelings exacerbated with driving over a dozen hours alone across the desert, I was filled to the brim with a sense of adventure. I was ready and prepared for whatever life was going to throw my way. I was in the prime of my life and pursuing my dreams in sunny Southern California. But little would I know that four years later, I would not be feeling the same.

You see, growing up, my family was always on the move. Never staying in a house for more than a couple years, I was used to quickly making new friends and adapting to unique environments. After all, I had no control so I was forced to go wherever my family went. This experience of coming and going so quickly made it so easy for me to leave Idaho to come to APU. I was ready for adventure and the leap to a new place where I would call my home for the next four years. There was very little fear in that transition. All I can remember was how excited I was.

Now fast forward four years and here I am, sitting on my couch reflecting on my time at APU and thinking about what is next. Frankly, that is all I seem to think about these days. What will I do with my degree? Was it worth all those tens of thousands of dollars and years of my time? Obviously the answer is yes. Of course it was, right? After all, where would I be without it. But there is something completely different about this transition. This time around, I am scared. I am nervous, weak, and frightened that things simply won't work out.

I have spent many days thinking about my future (my #1 strength is Futuristic) and how I plan to move my life forward from here and the uncertainties are driving me insane. Let me inform you on what my situation is right now.

So over Christmas break, I met with a company and discussed job opportunities and basically came to the conclusion that I have found my dream job. I have the connections, the qualifications, fit the culture, and love the people and the environment. I would get decent pay and live my life purposely and have a blast doing so. Here's the problem: it is in Boise. Now let me quickly reassure you that this is not a story about the city of Boise. I am madly in love with that place and all that it offers. Truly, if you have never been, you have to visit such a fine gem deep in the valley beneath the mighty Sawtooth Mountains and the gateway to the Rockies. But what I have realized recently is that I have done something that, growing up, I swore I would never do. I have settled down. Having been here for four years straight, I have built incredible relationships and surrounded myself with a community that challenges me and pushes my to be a difference maker. Never have I felt so plugged in and connected to a location and the people within it. This community and people that I have loved so deeply are quickly becoming an element of fear when it comes to transition.

Ultimately, I think I just want APU to come with me wherever I go. It pains me to know that there could even be the slightest chance, whether I take this job or not, that I could be leaving those close to me. All the stories, adventures, and calamities from the past few years will be left to Facebook posts and photos stashed deep into my computer that I know I am bound to come across years from now. Of course, I will look back at those moments, laughing and crying at my youth and how funny it is that I am even writing this post right now. But oh well. That is the way it goes.

I guess the big question we are all wondering is not whether we are feeling stressed or not, because, let's face it, we all are. We are all fearful, thinking about our friend who just landed an incredible job while we sit here, still jobless with little to no good leads. We seniors often think to ourselves, are we being too picky? Was my education not preparing me enough? Maybe grad school was the better option. Is it acceptable to just go work at a restaurant or work retail? That still counts as a job... kinda. 

I think the real question to be asked is "how are you dealing with it all?"

So I ask this to all seniors, in hopes that we can come together and share our fears and build one another up in community. Some of you are getting married, some going abroad, others staying here, some going back to where they call home. But in the end, we are all diving head first into foreign waters. But if you think about it, every year before us has gone through this same exact situation and they all sorted it out eventually. 

With that, maybe my nervousness is unwarranted. But that really does not help me make a decision. Bummer.

Perhaps in the coming months I will write a thank you letter to the community of Azusa Pacific University and how my life has been completely revolutionized because of what I have experienced here. There is no other place on Earth like it and I am glad to be spending these last 4 months part of such a beautiful and worthy community.

Happy last semester.

Enactus 2014

Dear the APU Enactus team:

You all know that I am not the most social person when communicating my thoughts and feelings. It is not that I do not like to express my opinions, but I prefer not to participate in group conversations just because I want to clearly and intentionally hear what you each have to say. I value your input so much and desire to listen carefully and hear the vision and passion that each of you have for Enactus and what it means not only to me but to the team as a whole. I admire all of you and your fervency to see Enactus grow.

Every one of you has impacted my life in ways that I myself have a hard time discerning. When I first came to Enactus, I was indifferent about the program. Having never heard of any of the projects outside of The Hub, I thought this was going to be another disorganized and pointless program put on by APU. Somehow I ended up coming to the next meeting, which changed everything. Ironically when I came for the second meeting and saw the presentation, I thought it was so bad that I had to come back. I thought there must be something that I can do to make it better. Volunteering myself as graphic designer, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Between My Rescue and Enactus, I was completely overwhelmed, but I miraculously continued to have a strong drive to push forth and finish what I had started. Finally, as the last few weeks progressed, I began to look back and see all that had happened. Inundated with work, I missed the big picture and lost a lot of opportunities to see remarkable things happen right before me. Between the fashion show and Cincinnati trip, I was so happy to take steps back and see the beautiful things that we had accomplished together.

As the graphic artist, my work was completed the last few days before we left for Cincinnati. All I had to do the rest of the week was set up a projector and push the arrow keys. Because of this, I got many chances to just sit and reflect on the work we had done together. There were many times last week where I sat in silence, and you should all know that in those moments, I was thinking of each and every one of you and the joy that you bring to my life. Whether it was hearing the girls scream at a squirrel eating our cupcakes or watching the leadership team scramble to find a flight, I could not help but stand there and smile as chaos unfolded. 

Each of you, in a unique way, have taught me what it means to be a leader and serve in a team of hard-working and talented individuals. You have inspired such a blazing fire in my heart to continue to work with the Enactus team and I cannot articulate my excitement for the semesters to come. I want to keep this short so I will end telling you all that this past week will go down into the record book and will always bring up tears of laughter and love as I reflect on the adventures we had together.

To thank is never enough!

BritTAWN

Why I Would Never Hire an APU Student

Every day I hear more stories of APU alums not getting good jobs after college and they all seem to wonder what they missed. I have come to realize that much of the experience at APU is completely inadequate when it comes to preparing young people for their future careers. There are exceptions though. Obviously nurses, psychology majors and health majors, and many Bible majors need to establish grounds in an undergraduate degree and then follow up with graduate programs, but for the most part, APU is guiding their students straight into a path of failure as a member of the global workforce. I have three primary reasons for this belief. First, provided internships are unprofessional and lack any real-world expectations. Second, much on-campus employment is founded on a system of four-year and part-time employment and has no paths for true success after graduation. Third and most challenging for me to express, many professors are not pushing their students enough to really maximize their potential.

First off, the internships. I have had two different opportunities for internships and I will not go into much detail about them but instead focus on the general concept of unpaid internships. In the traditional sequence of events, a student arrives at college having a small idea of how they want to contribute to the world. They then try out their classes and figure out exactly how God has fitted their skills into the vast world of working adults. So after this sense of calling, they embark on their core courses and begin the oh so wonderful internship. While this may sound promising, there is one huge factor in this process that is missing. The problem with college internships is that they are given to you, feeding the famous millennial mindset of having life handed to you on a platter. Unlike paid and well-designed job opportunities, internships have no real competition. Without competition, the choice of applicants is quickly diminished and the students have no real desire to work. Their incentives boil down to fulfilling credits and hopefully locking in a job after the intern period is completed. There is no reason for me to go out and do a spiritually and educationally fulfilling internship if all I need is a signature for completed work hours. If students really want to succeed in the world, they have to learn the essential skills of interviewing, personal presentation, design, and individuality. These skills develop through specific courses and lots of trial and error, not internships handed to a student with a need for credit. Honestly, students need to learn how to lose. Then from loss do they finally understand what their strengths and weaknesses are and how they can reshape their resumés and hone skills to succeed. Their identity needs to be clearly identified. How do we expect college graduates to stand out when they look exactly like everybody else? America has created a society that is scared of risk and settles for mediocrity when it comes to the job-seeking process. Successful students will put all they have on the table and show people who they really are. By creating this blueprint for success, we have abandoned creativity and decided it is better to be shaped from the corporate cookie cutter.

I really hate to put some blame on my professors because they are fantastic people with many different backgrounds and many have been extremely successful in their careers, but there is a serious issue to be addressed. The problem with the teaching at APU is that it is too easy. I am completely serious. Perhaps it is just certain programs, even though APU is apparently well accredited in many different fields. But why is it that I can walk into my junior year of college and get straight A's without skipping a beat? I mean, I am not beyond talented in anything particular. While I may have a lot of motivation and be very ambitious in my educational journey, I would like to see professors challenge me more. Is every paper I write really A quality? Really? That cannot be right. Even if I am a good writer or mathematician or whatever, challenge me to do better! How can I make myself above and beyond the rest of the world. Again, settling for mediocrity.

Back to internships and employment, much of APU has a serious lack of competitive and challenging student employment opportunities. Students wonder why their real world experience as a hamburger flipper did not directly apply to their career in journalism. Well maybe you should not have applied for that job in the first place. Yes there must be people to fill these jobs that keep the world running, but where has our motivation gone? When I started high school, about ninety percent of students planned on going to college. This was extraordinary! A group of students excited for the world and eager to seek their dreams! Suddenly, graduation comes along and they have nowhere to go because they lost the motivation to apply to 4-year universities. This same thought is contagious among college students. It is sort of this idea that if they can not land that dream job they might as well settle for less. Well of course you can not get that dream job. Why on earth would I hire somebody without passion and respect for what we do? I recently asked a local recruiter for Russ Reid company, a multi-million dollar fund-raising organization based in Pasadena, what really makes students that walk into her office really stand out. Without a second's thought she answered “Students that get jobs here, walk in and know what they are doing. They know the company backwards and front, and they have an intense desire to be part of Russ Reid.” That is the attitude students need to take. So how do this relate to student employment, well the university needs to get over this idea that students are incapable of serious jobs and start providing quality positions for students. There is a reason that the title is student worker, not employee.

Of course, there are some great examples of very successful programs. I have been blessed with incredible opportunities as a student and employee of APU. Among the many problems with the political system of APU's student employment program, there are a few shining stars that set a clear example. First off, the introduction of new school sponsored businesses such as Evoke are smart opportunities for student engagement. The reason why this, among others, stands out above internships is that the job market is competitive and provides appropriate monetary incentives for employees to work their hardest. If an applicant is not good enough, they do not get the job and they must then work harder and push themselves to new heights to compete in the jog market. In the hierarchy of resumé highlights, real world job experience will almost always stand above unpaid internships.

I have personally been blessed with a fantastic job at the APU Computer Store. As an employee for over 19 months, I have never been more challenged to succeed. While the experience in a multi-million dollar retail business is fantastic, the hallmark is in the way the Computer Store inspires success and service into their staff. This business is highly competitive and everybody knows it. Through a very selective process of hiring, we have become a proud team that serves God in everything we do. When a future employer asks me about my experience at the Computer Store, I know that I will not be able to withhold a smile as I think of all the great memories and victories we have had as a family. This is what students should feel about their jobs at APU. Through passionate camaraderie and inspirational leadership, any firm can dramatically change the morale of the workplace and only then will they reach the goals that they uniquely desire.

Aside from the workplace, APU has really guided me in my journey of finding my identity and why God places me where I am. I do not think there is another place in the world where I will learn more about God and the ways peoples' lives are changed and shaped into a life of passion and beauty. I look around every morning and can not believe that I am living in LA County and am working with the fantastic individuals I get to call my friends and family. There is not a day that goes by without me looking at this school and smiling out of joy for the people here. APU provides a community of reality. There are no boundaries or conversations that are uncomfortable. Every person in this family has dark struggles and for the first time in my life, we share them! I have shared my darkest struggles and temptations with people I have only known for a matter of hours! Who the heck does that? If I shared my life story with anybody else outside of this community, they would think I am from another planet for being so transparent. Where else will you find such a loving and encouraging group of people. It is incredible and I am grateful for such an opportunity.

One year from now, when I walk out across that stage and shake Jon Wallace's hand as he hands me my diploma, I will know that my money spent here has been the greatest investment I will ever make. Will I walk across that stage into the hands of an eager employer? Probably not. Am I ok with that? No, of course not. That is what I would like to change. How can APU begin to reshape itself to prepare people for their future? The students of APU have a chance to really change the way we challenge ourselves to reach success. We are all blessed to be in such a community of gifted leaders and talented peers, I hope and pray that we learn to embrace this and see where it takes us.

In the words of my loving grandfather:

Grace and Peace,

Britton

Xbox One and why I'm sticking with Microsoft

Recently, there has been insane amounts of banter about the Xbox One and the PS4.  According to numerous websites, polls, and other sources of chatter, it seems that most consumers will be buying Sony's console this holiday season.  But as for me, I am still strongly buying the Xbox One.

While many will instantly bash on me for this statement, this console works very well for me.  But I will start with some technical information to give people a background of the consoles.

So, spec wise, lets admit it, they are practically identical.  And with the graphics these days, nobody except a fanatic techy is going to pinpoint the differences between graphic capabilities.  Also, Microsoft is now implementing a digital rights program that restricts a lot of access to used content and game sharing as well as require internet access.  If you need more information on that, just search "Xbox DRM" and hundreds of articles will pop up. Finally, both consoles now require annual fees to engage in online gaming and both have their fair share of exclusives.

With that said, there are a few reasons why I am buying the Xbox One.  
1) Games and downloads
2) Kinect
3) Xbox Live
4) User Interface and SmartGlass

First off, I am the kind of person who buys maybe 3 or 4 games for my console the first year and maybe one or two games the following years.  As of right now, my plans are to buy Destiny, Battlefield 4, Forza 5, and the next Halo game.  I will admit, I am a huge Halo fan from the start.  That is a huge swaying factor for me, and personally, I have never enjoyed many of the Playstation exclusives.

But here is my main argument against the new game policy placed by Microsoft.  

As somebody who enjoys the power of emerging technology I am going to take full advantage of the online capabilities by Microsoft and direct download all of my games.  The convenience of a large SSD is fantastic.  To never have to put in a game again is awesome!  I will enjoy ridiculously fast load times and with Xbox's new platform, I can switch between games and apps instantly.  I absolutely love that feature!  So with that said, I don't care for used games or sharing games with my friends.  When I buy a game, I have done extensive research and know exactly what I am buying.  I have no need to try it out first. I have also never had a good experience with used games. I would rather have all of my content in one place that is easy for me to access.

Second, I am a big fan of the Kinect.  Unlike many gamers out there, I host a lot of dance parties and such with my friends.  I also enjoy using voice commands.  I understand that voice commands can be a joke but I use them when I am not gaming.  For example, if I am about to do dishes, it will be nice to just voice command my Xbox and watch movies, listen to music, or browse videos without doing anything.  

Most people, both Xbox fans and Playstation fans will admit that Microsoft has a smoother and friendlier online service than Sony.  The Xbox community is something that I have always loved.  Most of my close friends are Live members and it's great to play big matches in BF3 with my squad members all being people I know.  

Finally, the Microsoft Xbox OS is cleaner and much more user-friendly than Sony's.  I liked how Microsoft didn't over Windows-ize the Xbox OS.  It still is true to Xbox and is something that has always worked well.  But my favorite thing is Xbox SmartGlass.  Being able to use my tablet or phone to work with my consoles is a favorite feature of mine.  Regardless of the technology, voice searches are not always very accurate.  Adding keyboard features is wonderful.  Also, there are numerous times while watching something on Netflix and I am struggling to remember an actors name or where they played in the past, and having my iPad ready with that information instantly is pretty cool.  Playstation has the Vita, but I just can't justify having a portable console on me. I am just not that hardcore of a gamer.

I think some of the features by Xbox One are impressive as well. I don't really care for the Xbox TV and Fantasy Football or Skype stuff.  I don't use any of these programs, ever.  But the direction that Microsoft is taking with online services and digital content is the way that gaming is shifting.  We all understand that the CDs and Blu-Ray discs becoming obsolete and it will just be a matter of time before everything is web-based.

Finally, these are some things I never enjoyed with the PS4.
1) The exclusives (I'm just not a fan of Uncharted, LBP, and such)
2) The online service
3) The controller
4) The look and styling of the console
5) Move and Eye Camera

All in all, I feel that the PS4 is really lacking some features that the Xbox has.  And this whole DRM thing that everybody is whining about, it really is not a big deal.  I download my games and my console is NEVER offline.  I mean, when am I ever not going to have internet in my house? The Xbox One is a sleek system with a wonderful and loyal fan base and continues to innovate new ways to make the Xbox more of an all-in-one system.  I still choose the Xbox One.

Something that needs your attention.

I'm letting you know right now, you are probably going to either love or hate this blog post.  Just a heads up...

As a first born son, I've always taken on the responsibility of knowing that every step I take is being carefully observed and replicated by my younger brothers.  It's something I've just grown up with and sometime forget about.  But it's what drives me to success.  I look at who I am and think, "would my younger brother want to be where I am at right now?"  Or would he look at my life and think of how he will take every step he can to be the opposite of who I am.  So with that said, I place a lot of responsibility on men to be leaders to women. It's a very controversial issue in the emerging contemporary church but I believe that in a marriage relationship, a man's primary responsibility is to be as christlike as possible.  This is what it means to lead.  To serve, respect, unconditionally love, and have passion to maximize his wife and make her all that she can be.  People often look to biblical verses regarding men having power over women and get all edgy about it.  I disagree and think that what was written was very intentional.  Yes I understand that in ancient times, culture was dominated by a powerful system of masculine superiority.  But understand that a truly powerful and righteous man will do anything within his power to serve others.  It is something that in our American culture, we have really lost touch with.  I wish it wasn't that way.  I wish that men would look to what Jesus taught on service and love and compassion and truly realize how beautiful it is when two people can love each other and serve so passionately.

So why am I writing about this?  Well lately, I've been encountering a lot of instances where men of my age have really screwed up, and I thought I should say something about it.  Simply said, I cannot count on my two hands how many women in my life have been raped or sexually assaulted by a man.  How many women will have burdens that they carry into every future relationship they will ever have?  How many marriages will struggle because of one man's lack of judgement?  Think of how many girls there are out there that believe that they are far from God and blackened by actions they had little to no influence on.  I've seen the court hearings.  I've seen the suicides and the drug addictions that develop out of this.  These women's lives are lost.  And we all know that.  Sexual abuse is an epidemic that is running rampant through our schools, our homes, and our families.  This is unacceptable!

Like I said, we hear this a lot today.  It is no mystery that women are being attacked by men.  But hink of how often you hear of the guy of the situation?  Somehow he manages to walk away.  But what I can't even begin to understand is how can this even be possible? How do you invisibly walk away from raping a woman?!  Do you not look at Facebook and see that smiling profile picture and realize that she will probably never smile for the rest of the year because of what you've done to her?  How can you possibly live with yourself?!  How can you even begin to tollerate the guilt and shame and utter embarrassment for how immature and weak you are?  You destroyed her life and made her think that it was her fault!  I don't get it.

When I lived in Idaho, I participated in a group called Start Strong.  I was young, about 16 years old.  As part of this group, I led and coordinated several events at the local middle schools and taught short sessions on healthy dating and spotting the signs of abuse.  I absolutely loved this program!  And I learned a lot, but what really struck me was how these 12 to 15 year old boys were viewing the girls of their school.  These teenage girls were objects, traded for a monetary value based on the shape of their body and the length of their hair.  I couldn't believe what I was seeing.  I began to search for answers.  In one specific class session, I asked everybody, girls included, what it meant to be a man and what phrases come to mind when you think of manliness.  The top answers were typically "rub some dirt on it," "no pain no gain," "men don't cry," and "be in control."  I would then ask them what it meant to not be a man.  The top answer by a long shot was "pussy," followed by "gay" and "weak."  All of which are derogatory towards women (which is another whole blog in itself).  So there was my problem.  The image of what it meant to be a man.  But can it be changed?  I'm quickly losing hope.

I could go on and write a lot more about this, but it's 2:45 in the morning and I need to collect my thoughts and go to bed.  If you want to hear more, shoot me up an invite to coffee or lunch.

So my challenge is simple. Men, grow up and realize what it means to really be man!  Are you going to go out and be that badass that you are as you slap your girl and force her to have sex with you?  Are you going fall into your apetites and fill that short term desire for sex?  How much does it cost to fill that desire?  Is rape the ultimate cost?  What about her life?  

I want to create a shift in this perspective.  So please, join me and make women feel loved!  Tell her how beautiful her eyes are today! How much you like her dress.  Can you imagine how different this world would be if women can look at your face and think "Wow! He is a great friend and cares for me so much!  That is a true man of God!"  I want to be that man of God.  I want so badly to understand God's love just so I can share it with the world and spread it to everybody around me!

To the women out there who have been affected by the immature actions of men in your lives, I'm sorry.  I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.  I will never be able to fathom the pain that you have gone through.  I know that there isn't much I can do to help but I really want to encourage you to reach out and seek help.  I was absolutely blown away by how many girls, especially close friends of mine, that keep sexual assault and rape a secret from their family and church.  God has so much mercy and love for you! There is nothing that can separate you from that!  If you attend Azusa Pacific University, you are probably not going to get a better chance to share this pain you suffer from.  The people here are authentic and love you so much!  I pray for your courage and that you can see the love that God has for you.

Peace.

When I grow up.

I think it's funny how all of us at some point in our childhood were asked the ultimate question, "What do you want to do when you grow up?" 

Initially, as a 5-year-old, I wanted to be a mailman.  I thought it would be so great to see all of the wonderful mail people receive and to know everyone in my neighborhood by name.  Cute, huh? Next I heard garbage men earned good money and they got to ride on trucks by hanging on to them.  You can see where my priorities shifted.  Later into middle school, I dreamed of being a car designer.  Still something I would consider today, I have always been in love the with the engineering and beauty behind one of the most essential and costly investments Americans ever make.  Soon after, about eighth grade, I was a pastor's kid, and I wanted to travel the world doing mission work.  I'm sure many professors at APU would try to steer me back in that direction.  That soon faded as I realized that I have a gift in small business.  So from there I did small business management with Donkeymint Tees and now I have found my love with the outdoors and I am seeking to bridge the gap between my business mindset and my thrill seeking personality.

So why am I writing about this now?  Well, I'm just a few years away from graduation and I need to begin to figure things out.  In case you don't want to read the rest of this post, as im sure you scrolled to the bottom right when you opened it just to see if my thoughts are worth your 7.5 minutes of time, I'll explain it in one sentence.  When I came to APU, I was so absolutely sure of what I wanted to do, and since then, things have changed and now I'm a little on edge about the paths ahead of me.  This is completely healthy though. It's not that I suddenly don't feel a direction anymore or that I feel in need of purpose. It's just, for the first time I realized that I am going to be 22 years old and can go anywhere I want in the world.  I mean, how am I supposed to respond to that?

I guess I'm not completely confused. I know that I want to go into either resort tourism or sports apparel and gear.  Ideally I would be working for a small but prosperous ski resort or possibly owning my own shop and spending my spare time in the mountains fishing, kayaking, biking, and riding.  Also, I would love to work for North Face, Patagonia, FreeRide, or any ski or board organization and work on their branding, marketing, and product development.  You get the gist of what I hope to do, God willing.

So what this means is that I have such an opportunity at my fingertips and its kinda thrilling.  I have no problem going anywhere as long as I will be thriving in my career.  I think I would like to stay in the country, but moving to Canada, Switzerland, or Austria... Gosh that would be the dream!  I've narrowed my favorites down to a few places throughout the Northwest region.  Though I am always up for suggestions here's what I'm basically looking at: Jackson Hole, WY (gorgeous but crazy expensive), Whitefish, MT (great and beautiful area, just don't know the city well), Anchorage, AK (big mountain skiing, but a stressful place to move to), Revelstoke, BC (world class riding, but in a new country), and finally Vancouver, BC (amazing city, but I think it's a bit too touristy ever since the Olympic Games).
All of these places have their pros and cons.  I actually think its funny that I've actually only been to a few places on this list.  I personally have this odd drive to go to Whitefish, Montana.  I don't know why, it just seems like an amazing place for me.  And, funny story, the guy I sat next to on the plane home was from there.  He told me all about it. I hope next winter, I can make a ski trip there.

When it all boils down, I'm still going to be a young educated business student that is in need of a job.  I just am so ambitious and am really tired of school.  I just want to jump in and make a difference somewhere already.  But college will be over before I know it and I will miss it terribly, but I just can't get over the reality of how close I am to being done and moving on to my life's next big adventure.

Peace be with you.