Li'l Ol' (Young!) Me...

Posted this on Now and Ever, a blog I frequent...the creator of said blog indulged in a bit of "divulgence," as he called it, then called on us to do the same. My little bit is here:

• 24 years of age--a whippersnapper, yes--who teaches high-school Spanish in Fort Worth, TX.

• Grew up Southern Baptist, devout, blessed with a mother who, though imperfect, made sure to instill in me the fear of God and the knowledge that, IN THIS IS LIFE, and nothing else could touch it. Like you said: God trumps pretty much all else. Even Sauza Añejo tequila (my poison of choice) or fine cigars (also a fave).

• Attended Oral Roberts U, got a double major in English Ed/Spanish. Realized upon doing student teaching for English that I love the literature of the world so much that, if I had to teach it, it would ruin me, ruin it for the students, and that either I or the students (maybe both) would, in fact, shoot ourselves in the face. So I picked Spanish for teaching. LOVE IT, as for some reason, it is my public service--communication should know no bounds--whereas English/Reading fine lit is my private passion.

• While at ORU, converted to the Eastern Orthodox Church. Was not converted so much--not at first, anyway--as I was blindsided. Was turned off by much of the televangelist-esque stuff going on at ORU, but was happy to stay a Baptist. Was then surprised to find out that the first-century Church had an amazingly different idea of what it meant to be "in Christ." For me, the Eucharist opened up my life, my relationship with God in ways I could never see myself leaving.

• My wife, Audra, was not who I saw myself with, but she has singlehandedly shown me more about who I THOUGHT I was--big-shot, smarty-pants, free-thinker, man-about-town--and who I REALLY am--much less suave than all of that, much less certain of life in general, much more fond of silence and "settledness" than I'd ever thought...and that that's OK

• A (as I call her) will give birth to our first child (Lord willing), Hope Elizabeth, on or around June 16th. Am still trying to make the connection that my wife's squirming stomach is actually 18 years of glorious stewardship and (may God grant) a lifetime of loving companionship.