Five Questions

Since my sister (who writes this blog) did this, and because I'm feeling somewhat less than theological today, I thought I'd tackle this five questions thing.  The task is to answer five particular questions.  So here goes.

What are you really good at?  What are you really bad at?


I'd like to think that I am quite good at reading books and assimilating/integrating what I learn into my worldview.

I know that I am bad at paying attention to small details, especially in relationships.  I can come across as insensitive and uncaring because I simply don't think of those little things most of the time.

Have you ever been in a car accident?


I once looked down for about 2 seconds to turn up the volume on the radio and, when I looked up, I didn't have enough time to stop before rear-ending a little old lady's car, which was stopped to turn left.  No one was hurt, but I remember the bills for repairs...

Why did you attend your college?

Which one?  Including grad school, I've attended five.  Here goes.

Purdue University - because I wanted to major in Physics/Mathematics and Purdue was 1/3 the cost of Rose Hulman Institute of Technology.

Olivet Nazarene University - because I was going to major in religion...and there was this really pretty girl who was going to be there.

Nazarene Theological Seminary (grad school) - because everyone told me that's what Nazarene pastors did, go to NTS and get an M.Div.

Indiana Wesleyan University (grad school) - because their program was tremendously practical and close to home.

Northwest Nazarene University (grad school) - because the program was online.

How did your parents' relationship affect you?

The tough one.  Fair warning, there might be some surprising stuff here.

First, I don't remember much of what life was like with my parents before they divorced when I was 8.  Looking back, the fact that they divorced affected me in one key way: it made me absolutely determined - fanatically so - that the divorce trend in our family would end with me if it kille me.

Second, there was a time when I moved custody from my mom to my dad.  It was a volatile situation for awhile, and I felt like I had somehow single handedly ruined the civil relationship my parents still had with each other.  Let me say, to be clear, that neither of my parents ever did anything specific to make me feel that way - I just did.  From that experience, it took me awhile to realize that I didn't have to choose sides.  I didn't have to hate one parent to love the other.

Mostly, what I have learned from my parents' relationships - with each other and with their new significan others - is that I have to be true to who I am and trust that God will bring the right people into my life who will accept me for that person, not for some mask I put on or something I can do with them.

What are the three happiest moments of your life?


1. The day I found out Melissa loved me, too.  I had sent her an e-mail after church and spent an hour listening to sappy love songs, worrying about whether I had blown it, and generally being very nervous...until I got a response.  Then all was right in the world.  Best day of my life.

2. Tie.  11/19/05 & 1/23/08 - I thought I knew was love really meant.  Until Hannah and Ike were born.  Life was irrevocably changed for the better on both of those days.

3. This one is somewhat abstract - when I discovered Henri Nouwen and his books.  More than anyone else - living or dead - Nouwen taught me how to accept who I am and to learn to not just accept my woundedness but to use that woundedness as a base for life and ministry.

There.