25 Things about you
I have resisted like the plague this sweeping hysteria of posting 25 things about you that seems to have overtaken Facebook [click here for more information]. I have finally decided, however, that I might as well go ahead and cave in because enough of my friends tagged me to do it as well. I am doing it here on my blog, however, instead of directly on Facebook, partly because I prefer to post on my blog and partly because all my blog posts are cross-posted automatically on Facebook. However, I will not be tagging 25 others to participate. So, in light of that, here are 25 Random Things about Me:
1. I was originally born in Colorado Springs, CO while my dad was stationed at the Air Force Academy.
2. I have moved a lot, and I mean a whole lot, in my life. To date I've lived in 29 different houses/apartments/dorm rooms. I'm 30 years old.
3. I was homeschooled, which allows me the unique privilege of making fun of those of us who are homeschooled while also appreciating the benefits of being homeschooled.
4. I am incredibly in love with my wife. She's my best friend. I cannot sleep when she is not here and I would be a ridiculous mess without her. She's the only girl I've ever kissed.
5. My favorite Bible word is "grace". It's because of that we named our oldest daughter Grace, and our youngest Kessed which is derived from the Hebrew word "chesed". Since Grace doesn't have a perfect Hebrew equivalent, chesed is one of the closest we could find.
5. I'm not a great writer but I love to write on my blog. To date I've written over 1300 articles on this site.
6. I love all forms of technology and consider it a compliment to be called a geek.
7. I've been preaching since I was 17 years old. I've been serving in vocational ministry since I was 20. Although I had momentary interest in other fields, my entire life has essentially been spent pointing to a life in vocational ministry. It's what I love to do.
8. Thanks primarily to some publicity as a result of my blog, I've been quoted in the USA Today, the Washington Post, the Memphis Courier-Journal and also on Focus on the Family's News in Focus Radio Program.
9. I am absolutely convinced that U2 is the greatest rock band of all time. The Beatles are arguable, but I prefer U2.
10. I've been in school, off and on - mostly on, for 23 years. Unfortunately all I have to show for it is a high school diploma, a bachelor's degree and over 2/3 of an M.Div. completed. This is mostly due to the fact that almost all of my M.Div. work has come 1-2 classes per semester as a part-time student. Thankfully I'm closing in on the completion of the degree and I've begun looking at doctoral programs. My wife groans when she thinks about more school, but likes the idea that a doctorate should mean that I can't keep doing more. ;-)
11. Due too all my moving, I've lived in 8 states and on 3 continents. I've also lived in 4 of those states on at least two different occasions.
12. I'm a pack-rat. It's really a ridiculous trait, but I struggle to throw away anything. My car is a reflection of that. I could almost live out of it.
13. I've chaired a committee (the Committee on Convention Committees) for the Missouri Baptist Convention and sat on the Comittee on Committees for the Southern Baptist Convention and somehow find that exciting. (insert geek joke here)
14. I don't use paper notes when I speak at my church. I have two large, 42" monitors that sit on the floor of our platform and which project my notes so that I can be more mobile when I preach and spend more time connecting with people instead of looking down at the podium all the time.
15. As a kid growing up, and even through college, I loved to dress up in a suit and tie. In fact, I was known to wear a tie, on occasion, to class. Today I much prefer khaki shorts and fli-flops. My time in Africa had a lot to do with the change.
16. Tracy and I lived in Burkina Faso, West Africa where we served among the Dagari people while working for the International Mission Board. We were originally supposed to serve for 2 years but got sent home for medical reasons after 1 year. The doctors in Burkina told me that they didn't know what was wrong with me and thought it could possibly be missing cartilage in my back or even cancer. I arrived home from Burkina and promptly passed a ridiculously large kidney stone.
17. Since that time I've had 4 more kidney stones, including two the last time I developed them.
18. I can never donate blood. While I was in Burkina I contracted Malaria which almost killed me. The doctor told us I was very close to being gone. Malaria, however, never leaves your bloodstream so they tell me I can never donate blood.
19. My very first sermon ever consisted of 10 points and lasted 50 minutes. Unfortunately I haven't really reduced the time I spend preaching since then.
20. I love studying history. While being homeschooled, and thus able to proceed at my own pace, I devoured 10 history books during my junior and senior year in high school. I especially like ancient Roman history.
21. At 6'6" of course I played basketball in high school. I wasn't very good but did pull down 40 rebounds in one game while playing against Emmanuel Christian School (Tracy's alma mater). I'm guessing a lot of those rebounds were from my own misses.
22. I have eaten cooked possum. While growing up outside of Wasau, Florida (home of the Possum Festival) it's difficult to not have a taste of it.
23. My dad is my hero. Of course there are others I look up to, but none who looms larger to me than me dad. My father-in-law is a close 2nd.
24. Tracy and I have an enormous height difference. I'm 6'6" and she is 4'9".
25. In spite of being 6'6", I've never weighed more than 185 lbs. The doctor tells me I can't gain weight, even if I wanted to. My metabolism is evidently too high.