25 RANDOM THINGS - BRIAN

So there is this new craze on facebook and everyone is posting their 25 Random Thoughts or 25 Things about me and they are really interesting. Brian and I both gave in the the craze and decided to do it and it was more fun than I thought. And since some of you are not on facebook or maybe didn't read it - I am going to post it here for you all to see:

25 Random Things - Brian's version!

1. I’m a communication professional, but I do a very poor job of communicating with my family and friends. I can go weeks without talking to my parents or siblings, not because I want to but just because I don’t call them for some reason.
2. My boys (Isaiah and Levi) are not only the greatest gifts from God but also probably the best thing that I have ever given to society as a whole
3. I met my wife (Lindsey) on my first day of work at the University of Alabama. She was a student worker in my office and I was (and still am) 10 years older than her.
4. I am jealous of my wife and her group of best friends. Not only do they take a summer trip together every year, they also truly support and love one another like a group of sisters. I wish I had just one or two really close friends that I could be totally real with all the time and not feel I was being judged
5. I know there is a God… No way can a person witness the birth of a child and believe that all that is this world just happened and began from some pre-time mud puddle and a “bang”
6. I am thankful and blessed to be a follower of Jesus Christ… It doesn’t make me perfect, in fact most times I do the things I know I’m not supposed to or don’t want to, but it does mean that God loves me and continues to try and recreate me in His image
7. I went on a mission trip to Kenya about 5 years ago and was forever changed. I learned more about myself in those two weeks than at any point in my life. I learned lessons about being thankful and content. I also am forever connected to that country and would go back every year if I could afford it. I know that I will return one day and I am definitely taking my family with me.
8. I knew that I wanted to work in Sports Information (my current job) after the first day I volunteered at Mississippi State. I have never regretted following my career path but I do realize that I have missed out on many things chasing this dream.
9. I am a proud member of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity and have many fond memories from my days with my Sig-Ep brothers from college. I wish I would have done a better job staying in contact with them all.
10. I think my 9th grade year may be the greatest single year in my life. I feel like the stars were aligned for me that year and I was pretty successful in almost everything I did.
11. In my second career, I would like to maybe be a chef. I love cooking and trying things in the kitchen. It is probably a good thing since my wife is a self-professed non-cooker. My best dish is beef (or meat as Isaiah calls them) Tacos made with my own special sauce.
12. My secret ingredient for nearly every recipe is brown sugar (I also like to balance the sweetness with a touch of Cayenne pepper)
13. I love playing golf and everything about the sport. I wish I could play more and maybe someday I will. I believe that if I had a chance to play regularly that I would get myself down to a single-digit handicap.
14. Upon my graduation from college, I had the choice of two career paths – College Athletics or Youth Ministry – I often wonder what would have happened if I had picked Youth Ministry. Sometimes I feel like I let God down by not going that direction.
15. My wife is my best friend. We are very different on some things but to borrow a cheesy line from Jerry MacGuire… She really does complete me!! Plus, without her I would only be able to make boys instead of unbelievably adorable boys (she makes them cute)
16. My oldest son Isaiah is what some might call a spitting-image of me. It really is like I just spit him out of my mouth. He walks, acts, talks, pretty much everything like me. I hope that I can help him learn from my mistakes and be a better person than me
17. Divorce sucks… While I feel that my parents handled it the best they could, I still feel that I have some hurts and scars that keep me guarded even today
18. I use to make fun of my bonus dad (aka: stepfather) because he ran cross country as a teenager. Now, I love running. It is the only way I can keep weight off. On days I don’t run, I feel like a sloth. I have run one ½ marathon and several 5 and 10K races. I want to run a marathon in the near future.
19. My musical tastes are very diverse… I enjoy listening to U2, Garth Brooks, Kirk Franklin, Third Day, Ol’ School Rap like Run DMC and Beastie Boys and Public Enemy, Classical music and many others. Music lyrics are something that have the ability to move me to tears (as does Extreme Home Makeovers… every friggin’ time)
20. I love reality TV. I especially enjoy watching the group dynamics on those shows and try to figure out where I would fit in if I was on the show
21. I think it would be cool for MTV to have a “Real World, 40s” and let 7 strangers from age 40-45 live in house together to see what happens when people stop living and start being real.
22. I love Facebook because of how it has allowed me to reconnect with so many folks from my teen, college and past work lifes
23. I was born in New Jersey and lived their until I was 10, spent a year in Pennsylvania, then moved to Nashville (where my mom and bonus dad still live), went to college and lived in Starkville (Miss.) for 7 years, lived/worked in Murray (Ky) for 3 years, lived/worked in Tuscaloosa (Ala.) for 8 years and now have lived/worked in High Point (N.C) for four years… I would love to return to Starkville to raise my boys
24. Favorite Things: Smiles of my boys, laughter of my wife and kids, hearing my wife sing – especially praise & worship music, hearing my boys say “Daddy” when I come home from work or a trip, reading a John Grisham book, sleeping in my own bed, Bible Verse: Jeremiah 29:11
25. I hope that at sometime in my life I had a positive impact or was a positive influence for someone.