About Me

Brief Bio

People say I resemble Mr. Bean. I’ve come to accept this burden. But as with all burdens, I initially rationalized this particular one as a good thing as Rowan Atkinson is a great comedian and he studied at Oxford. However, logically, this rationalization (as is true for all rationalizations) does not work because people are making a physical comparison rather than an intellectual one. *sigh*

So, at the end of the day, I do, in fact, look like Mr. Bean. I tried denying it for years, but then something happened in an obscure town in China that forced me to concede to this unwelcome reality.

I was at a boarding school teaching English. During one of the lunch hours, I noticed a bunch of teenage students at this table pointing at me and giggling. Wanting to know what the fuss was all about, I approached them and asked what they thought was so entertaining. I was expecting them to blurt something like, We think you look like a hot, Korean pop star! Instead, they said, “We think you look like Mr. Bean!” I was stunned. How in the world do these kids in this corner of the world know who Mr. Bean is?

Later that week, my question was answered. I was walking around town, and while passing a video store, I noticed a life-sized poster of Mr. Bean. It seems he’s quite the sensation in random parts of the globe.

So that was it. Seeing that poster sealed my resignation. All arguments to the contrary fail if kids in rural China say I look like Mr. Bean.

Anyway, I was fortunate enough to snatch a wife who found humor in all this. We now have two kids. She thinks we have three. My daughter’s name is Peyton Elizabeth and my son’s is Brandon Caleb. My wife is also the reason why I have become “cooler” over the years – her sense of humor far exceeds mine.

I studied anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania and became a divine master at Princeton Theological Seminary. (Hopefully some folks got that lame joke). Finally, I audited a couple courses at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, FL.

I love all things science, technology and theology. I’m a huge fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation (Jean Luc Picard is one of my heroes), Firefly (which was cancelled too early) and Battlestar Galactica. I currently love The Big Bang Theory. My favorite games are Halo (all of them) and Resident Evil 4. And I enjoy reading, writing, learning, speaking, volleyball and golf.

I’ve never really thought of myself as a writer. But during college and seminary, my professors always encouraged me to pursue it. I’m hoping to give it a shot through this blog.