Every once in a while I throw in a blog that has little or nothing to do with my normal subject matter, like toilet seat ramblings.   In this entry I thought I would take some time and reveal to you 45 things you might not have known about me in random order, just to let you into my life a little deeper. So, here goes…

1. I grew up in Lancaster County, PA, USA.
2. My mother was a Lutheran and my father was of the Russian Orthodox denomination.
3. I grew up in the country (three miles outside of a small town) for the first 17 years of my life and at heart, I am a country boy.
4. At age 16 I was introduced to the gospel for the first time and at age 17 I asked Jesus into my life.
5. I spent four years in the US Air Force during the Vietnam conflict.
6. Since around age 45 onions and garlic hate me.
7. In the first year of marriage, I was diagnosed with a blood disorder (I had to experience a bone marrow test) and in the first year of my marriage I was totally healed of the very same blood disorder by the only One who heals.
8. I have now been married to the love of my life and my best friend, Mary, for forty years.
9. I am enjoying the experience of my sixth decade of life.
10. I love fast cars and fast motorcycles.
11. I actually raced motorcycles (enduros) for a few years of my life.
12. I bought my first motorcycle when I was 15 and I rode that bike everywhere without a license plate or a driver’s license.
13. I lied about my age and secured my first “real” job at 15, washing dishes in an elderly care facility and, yes, I rode my motorcycle to work.
14. While in the military, I became a Non-Commissioned Officer and graduated first in my class.
15. Many years of my childhood I spent in a tent in the “woods” or down by the creek and camped there every weekend.
16. I have one sibling, a sister who is eighteen months older than me.
17. I love the mountains, the fresh water streams, the majestic trees, the animals, the sounds and the smells.
18. I have now walked with my Lord for 44 years and He has been nothing but faithful to me.
19. Mary and I lived and served as missionaries for eight years of our married lives.
20. My worst job ever was baling hay at a neighbor’s farm as a kid and getting paid $1.00 per day.
21. Writing does not come easy to me.
22. My favorite pie is shoe-fly. I will choose it over cake any day of the week.
23. I was in a rock band as a teenager.
24. I have made many mistakes (failed) many times and realize that failure is a great teacher.
25. I am a “saver” for future investment of course.
26. I have a used car business on the side.
27. I hunted white tail deer for over 30 years and was fortunate enough to bag many bucks and does.
28. I like old things like furniture, cars, trucks and motorcycles.
29. I enjoy creating things with wood, building and renovating.
30. I really enjoy fixing things.
31. I built (with lots of help) my own house in 1987.
32. Saving water and electricity, any utility, is something I try to do while caring for the environment God has given us to steward.
33. Don’t hate me, but I think Apple products are great (as I write this on a MacBook Air).
34. I enjoy flea markets.
35. I rebuilt a 1953 Chevy 3100 pickup truck and successfully got it on the road.
36. I am crazy about living debt free and helping others to enjoy the same.
37. I love any kind of nuts, except pecans.
38. I lived in two other states before returning to my roots in Pennsylvania.
39. I continue to find areas of insecurity in my life.
40. I enjoy NASCAR and actually drove a stock car at the Dover Delaware Monster Mile track once.
41. I really like to read books that challenge and grow me as a leader.
42. I tend to stay away from people who promise you the world and deliver nothing.
43. I am told that I am tenacious and I actually see that as a positive.
44. I struggle, over analyze and think too much when someone I love is going through a difficult time in their life.
45. I love Jesus more than ever and continue to grow in the realization that He loved me first.

There you have it. I am sure I have 45 more, but I’ll not bore you any further. Thank you for reading my blog and sending your comments. Keep forwarding them if you find something helpful for others.