An Interview

What are your passions, recreationally speaking?
You mean, what do I do for fun?  What makes me come alive?  Well, as much as I get all kinds of motion sickness (even in elevators and hammocks...), I love to travel and explore.  To me, the road trip itself is as much an invaluable part of the vacation as the destination itself.  Getting there is more than half the fun!  After being car-less for 2 years, I have been blessed recently with a little 49cc scooter.  It may not be terribly fast, but it's my first bike and I think it's a blast!  My day off (Saturday) is split pretty evenly between Parkour training and riding my bike all over the Kansas City region.  I've put close to 1000 miles on it already, and am actually plotting and planning a road trip with it...

I also enjoy reading.  Books are my weakness.  I don't even have a real bed (just a futon) or a dresser, but I have 2 bookshelves, and books on my nightstand.  I also love writing and playing guitar. My other true love ("recreationally speaking") is Parkour.

Parkour?  What is "Parkour?"
Parkour was established in France about 20 years ago by a man named David Belle.  According to him, "the basic premise is a man who runs, and whom nothing stops."

Parkour is a physical discipline in which your goal is to master how your body is capable of interacting with the environment around you, by training a combination of creative and efficient movements as a means of overcoming obstacles and increasing your ability to take a more direct path.

The underlying ideal is "to be strong to be useful"; therefore, careful, diligent progress is emphasized.  Strength, balance, coordination, and improvisation are all essential skills for success in parkour training.  Were one to witness a practitioner of parkour (called a "traceur"-masculine, or "traceuse"-feminine) in action, they would observe a man or woman running, vaulting, rolling, climbing, and even crawling at times in a clear direction.

The idea is to move fluidly and maintain momentum in the desired direction, without being slowed or stopped by obstacles in the path (be they stairs, a wall, a railing, a gap, etc.).  That is parkour in a nutshell.

If you had unlimited resources to pursue your passion in life, what would you be doing?
Travel and education are the two biggest things I would want to spend money on for myself.  Ultimately, I would be riding a motorcycle across certain parts of Asia, while writing, taking photographs, and building friendships.

I would also take classes on various subjects in various parts of the world, ranging from physics to philosophy to mechanics.  I would bribe my way into working for a season on a research base in Antarctica, as it is the only continent I have left to cross off my list.  I would also visit different parts of North America and Europe solely (or, at least mainly) for the purpose of training parkour with established parkour communities.

But my ultimate goal would be living in Asia, and touring a specific region by motorbike, spreading the Good News through prayer, word, and deed.

What is your passion in life, in more open terms?
These questions aren't in order, are they!  Well, you've got me pensive now...  My greatest passion is Jesus.  I'm more convinced every day that all the lesser passions reflect needs and desires that are ultimately only met in Christ Himself.  That being said, the God who created me enjoys my little quirks and preferences.  Pursuing the dreams and desires He's given me is a form of worship, or bringing Him glory.  He is still my shepherd, but I don't believe His "plan for my life" is something esoteric and etched in stone.  Not every choice in life is a test to find the will of God for your life, as if there is a black and white "right or wrong" answer.  In fact, most aren't.  God is looking at our hearts, not looking to see if we're going to pick what He has already decided is "the" right answer to the choice that lies in front of us.  You truly do have free will, friend.  Relax.

What truly matters, what is most important, is where our hearts are at, not where our paycheck is coming from or what outfit we'll wear or what we have for dinner or where we take our next vacation or whether or not will agree to the job transfer.

"Blessed are the meek... blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness... blessed are the merciful..." etc.  Not, "blessed are the pastors... blessed are the doctors... blessed are the successful... blessed are the most sacrificial..."  I believe that if your heart is after God's heart, then you really can't go wrong with vocation or hobbies or dreams.  Do what is in your heart to do.

Yes, I love Jesus.  He is my First Love.  But I also enjoy travel, and parkour, and classic literature, and puns.  And I think He likes that about me.  The important thing is to not gain your sense of identity from such things, nor to idolize them.  Hold your dreams and possessions with an open hand.  Other than that, go with it!

Your most embarrassing moment?
Whoa.  Talk about switching gears.  Let's see...  There are a few.  One would have to be the time I was at a Passover Seder a few years ago with strangers I had just met.  They had a nice house in a nice neighborhood.  Well, I was a bit zealous with the horseradish...  Needless to say, my body freaked out on me and I had to run out into the front yard with my hand over my mouth, where I lost it in the flower garden.  Going back in to face the rest of the meal with these people was a bit awkward after such a great first impression...

Another good one would be with my worship team, while we were debriefing after our set.  I had a water bottle in my bag, which I picked up and set on my lap.  Well, the water bottle leaked because the lid wasn't on right, but I was so shocked and confused that I thought I had wet my pants at first.  No, it was just water.  But I was mortified and completely baffled at first, until the [now empty] culprit was found in my bag.  I was soaking wet.

If you have  a question you would like me to answer, shoot me an email with the subject "Interview Question."