No Such Thing

Well, it's official, I'm about to enter the "real world".

This past Friday I got my first job offer, and I have decided to take it! The offer is from a company that I respect very much and am excited to work for. Their name is Bruel & Kjaer and they are a Danish company that specializes in sound and vibration solutions. I used some of their products for my research here and was highly impressed.

More info on the company can be found here.

My title will be Senior Support Engineer, which is a fancy name for tech support. But this isn't your run-of-the-mill tech support job where the guy sits around on the phone all day telling soccer moms what Alt+Ctrl+Del means. I will have to take phone calls, but that only accounts for about 25% of my time. The rest of the time is problem solving. That is, customers (namely scientists, though not exclusively) will encounter problems using the equipment we sold them and I will have to figure out why their particular setup isn't working and tell them how to get their desired results. Some of these solutions will take time to obtain, so that's why I won't be on the phone all the time.

Ok, how about a few pictures of some B&K products?
1/4" condenser microphone
Miniature Piezoelectric Charge Acceleromter (for measuring vibrations on a surface)
Sound Level Meter
PULSE Analyzer Hardware

PULSE is actually the name a software program that B&K developed. Its applications are numerous but all revolve around data analysis. This is the product that I will "specialize" in.

Oh, and best of all, my new job is in Atlanta! Starting in July, I'll be moving back to the promised land. A land flowing with Coke and Braves baseball. Not to mention family and friends. It's a little weird going back to Atlanta (I've already done it once) because I realize things won't be like they used to be there. People are growing up and changing. Atlanta has changed a LOT since my days in high school.

But I believe this is where God wants me and I couldn't be more excited. I've had to "replant" myself a few times now, and it's not fun having to start over. It's going to be nice to move somewhere where I already have a group of friends (not to mention family).

BUT, I still have a LOT to do before I go.

From Death to Life

Apologies for not updating recently...it's been a busy past few weeks. And the fury will not cease for at least 6 or 7 more weeks. As most of you know, I'm in the midst of pounding out a thesis. It is progressing slowly due to a nice shock wave of end-of-the-semester class assignments. But amidst all this business I had an opportunity to slip down to Atlanta for a few days to meet my new niece, Sydney Kate Burkhalter! She was brought into this world on April 16th by the brave Erin Burkhalter (with the help of David and some doctors).

Now, when I tell you she's an adorable baby, it's not just my biased uncle opinion coming out. She's a bonafide cutie. I have the pictures to prove it too, and they will be posted soon.

Many thoughts passed through my head as I held her tiny body (under 6 lb) in my arms. I thought about how she would soon grow up and show forth her own unique personality. How she would get pimples, start to like boys, and even have kids of own one day. She will be filled with all sorts of knowledge and wisdom, love and experience, and then in a few short decades, return to dust. That sort of thinking makes it a little strange to hold her.

The great theologian Jonathan Edwards believed that God has the ability to see the world through two lenses: a wide angle lens and a narrow lens. I agree with this. One one hand, God created time and is outside of time. Through a wide angle lens He sees eternity past and eternity ahead. But it is also true that He dawns the narrow lens and enters into time (hence, Jesus). Jesus weeps for Lazarus though He knows breathe will return to Lazarus's lungs in a few short moments.

Sydney will grow up and become many things. But RIGHT NOW she is an adorable little baby, completely dependant on mom and dad. Right now I can enjoying giving her her first tastes of love and affection. And it's great!

Edwards also said, "There is an admirable conjunction of diverse excellencies in Jesus Christ." I love this quote and I love this nature of my God! He sees all of time and yet enters in. He is fully God and fully man. He is the lion and the lamb.

Words will always fail, so I'll just leave you with this:

God...what an amazing dude!

Recently listening to: Jon Foreman Spring, Phil Wickham Cannons, DeVotchKa How it Ends, Coldplay Rush of Blood to the Head.