Interests.

My interests are many, and varied. Each one of them occupies a special place in my life, and I enjoy each of them thoroughly, just as you would enjoy your special interests and hobbies. My primary interest is the Lord Jesus Christ, His Word, and the doctrines of the Bible. Nothing is quite so exhilarating than to find a true brother or sister in Christ and commune with them in Holy fellowship and discussion of the Word. It truly is the Water of Life. No other thing can substitute for it, and if you neglect its study, you will grow rusty and bitter. I have learned the hard way, that Bible study and prayer are crucial to any part of your day, and the neglect of these pursuits can lead to a rotten, awful, day. Jesus Christ come first in my life! Below are the other interests that occupy the remainder of my leisure time.

Subjects.

Anyone who has known me for any amount of time will confirm my choice of my most favorite area of interest. This is the glorious realm of history. Words would fail to describe what a joy and delight history has been for me. I will assert that history has had a very important role in forming ideas of mine, developing my personality, and helping me to stand for what I believe. Throughout the beloved, time worn pages of history lie many lessons, messages, ideas, and tales of every color and genre. In history you will find the biographies of great men and women of ages past, and how they conducted themselves. History teaches us many lessons, if we will only hearken to her noble voice, and heed her tales. I have spent many glorious hours wiling away the time in stacks of history books, novels, papers, and magazines, and every minute has been of priceless worth and value. I will talk about history for hours on end, and if I find that kindred spirit who will discuss the volumes of history and the wonderful experiences that history relates, I will truly be excited. It's refreshing to find a fellow history buff, and gives me renewed energy.

Some of my very favorite periods in history are The American War for Independence, The War Between the States, The Middle Ages, The Age of Sail, The Victorian Era, The Antebellum Era, World War II, Ancient Rome, Ancient Native Americans, and the American Western Frontier. My favorite heroes and figures in history include General Robert E. Lee, who is my role model, General T.J. "Stonewall" Jackson, Horatio Nelson, Napoleon, Queen Victoria, David Livingston, Theodore Roosevelt, George Washington, Patrick Henry, Winston Churchill, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, Raphael Semmes, Jonathan Netanyahu, and Ronald Reagan. I have many more, but those are the elite chosen of my favorites.

Besides history, I also like anything and everything related to the military, armies, weapons, aircraft, ships, and military history. Artillery, firearms, swords, knives, pyrotechnics, and other forms of armament and weapons are my favorite items, as well as flags and emblems.

Other subjects that I stay well informed in, research, discuss, or read about include Theology, Abortion, Evolution vs. Creation, States Rights, fundamentals, The Middle East, Israel, Bible End Times prophecy, governmental affairs and law, legal cases, law enforcement, classical music, and other social and political issues of the moment. Astronomy, geography, birds, wild animals, horses, dogs, cats, hunting, fishing, other outdoor recreations, and anything to do with books, top off the list.

One more thing. ISRAEL RULES, BABY!

Movies.

Some people are more into movies than others, while some take movies for what they can teach. I am in the last class. I don't keep up with all the latest movies, stars, and gossip. In fact, the genres of movies that appeal to me are limited to five. Historical drama, literary adaptation, documentary, adventure, and police action drama. In each of these categories, lessons can be learned, information discovered, history brought to life, and literature unfolded in real characters. Other than these few genres, the rest of the movies on the market don't interest me, or are out right disgusting.

My top ten favorite movies are Gods and Generals, Gettysburg, Master and Commander Far Side of the World, Mask of Zorro, The Patriot, K-19 the Widowmaker, The Hunt for Red October, The Longest Day, Fiddler on the Roof, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. My favorite animated films are Finding Nemo, Ice Age, Chicken Run, Icabod and Mr. Toad, and Robin Hood. So, as you can see, quite a interesting mix.

My favorite male actors include Harrison Ford, Russell Crowe, Sean Connery, Robert Duvall, Geoffrey Rush, Gregory Peck, and John Wayne. Some of my favorite female actors are Catherine Zeta-Jones, Deborah Kerr, Olivia DeHavilland, Merle Oberon, Julie Andrews, Liv Tyler, and Angelica Huston.

We don’t have TV or cable, so our television viewing is limited to what we see at other people’s houses and other places. I am the absolute biggest Steve Irwin fan in the world. Take a look at these teeth, mate! Isn’t she just a total beauty! Croc Hunter rules, mate!

Music.

Music is all powerful, with the power to transcend any barrier. Music has a spirit and message of its own, and its power, beauty, and mood setting tones combine to make it the universal language. No two types of music are the same. Although based on the same concept and basic outlines, every type of music has its own unique aura about it, which gives it its own niche in the world of symphonic artistry. I choose my music carefully, and only listen to the kind of music that I know will actually uplift, encourage, or inspire me. I have many favorite areas in music, and each one of them has its own special use in my life. During web design, it's Appalachian or classical crossover. During getting prepared for church, it's choral arrangements, hymns, or Christian music. When I'm posting on message boards or writing emails, it may be one of my favorite movie soundtracks.

My favorite genres of music include Classical music and classical crossover as my number one favorite type of music, as well as Celtic and Gaelic, American and World Folk music, Soundtracks and Film scores, performance and theater music, Hymns, Gregorian, Opera, Patriotic, Bluegrass and some types of Country music.

I also enjoy some Contemporary Christian music, but I am very selective about the kind I listen to. Most Contemporary Christian Music today exalts the artist and the world of entertainment rather that the Christian walk and the Gospel, so I pick sparingly. Keith Green is my favorite Contemporary artist, as well as some songs by Ray Boltz. When I choose Contemporary Christian music, I want something uncompromising, where the music style does not get in the way of the message or words, and music that exalts the name of the Lord and exhorts Christians to live for Him.

I have so many favorite artists of music that I could never list all of them. So what did I do? I took the top of the top, the elite of the group, and the best of the best from my favorite list. They are RunRig, Lesley Garrett, Hayley Westenra, Joshua Bell, Andrea Bocelli, Charlotte Church, Russell Watson, Josh Groban, Andre Rieu, Jay Ungar, Molly Mason, James Galway, Paul Overstreet, Barry Manilow, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Keith Green, Mark O'Connor, and Ray Boltz.

Games.

I enjoy games a great deal more than movies. They are my favorite form of entertainment. I particularly like strategy and logic games, where you have to use your mind to play. You aren't sitting in front of the television, with your brain being fed a story, but are using your brain to make millions of calculations per minute. Not only is it good exercise, but it helps stimulate healthy habits, good health, and makes you smarter. Some of these things have actually been proven by studies.

Among computer games, my favorites are America's Army, Age of Empires II, Age of Sail II, Gettysburg!, Risk, Sudden Strike, 1602 A.D., and Cossacks. My favorite board games are chess, Monopoly, Balderdash, and Risk. Chess is my absolute favorite, but none of my friends like to play it. My friends that do play chess live far away, so it gets discouraging sometimes. Chess is a classic game, and everyone should know how to play it! In my mind, it's the game to play. However, I must content myself with playing against the computer until I find someone who will play with me.

First and foremost, I am a baseball fan deluxe. My other favorite sports to play are baseball, bowling, basketball, and soccer. I absolutely love bowling. My favorite sports to watch are baseball, soccer, and tennis. My favorite teams are the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers. Go Astros! Go Rangers! I am a dyed-in-the-wool Astros fan, and cheer them on with all my heart and lungs, even if they aren’t getting to the Fall Classic anytime soon. Soccer is fun to play, and it gives you such a workout! The Texas Longhorns are my favorite college team, football, baseball, or anything else. Hook ‘em Horns!

 

Books.

Books are the doorways into other worlds. Worlds that draw you close to teach, edify, fascinate, and thrill. I love to read. Besides history, which requires reading, reading is my number one interest and favorite thing to do. I collect books, and nothing thrills my senses more than to walk into a bookstore filled with that sublime and tantalizing smell of ink, paper, and bindings! I love to browse old book shops, digging up well worn copies of forgotten classics, biographies, novels, and histories. My books are my friends, and every character is yet another person to talk to. Yes, the characters are beloved friends, who you grow to love, and are sad to part with once the story is over. I love to curl up on the couch or my bed with a good book and a favorite snack, perhaps cheese crackers or Starbursts, and take a journey into another time and place; another era, cherished ideals. You have to be careful when reading Pride and Prejudice if you have a bag of Starbursts. Lizzy Bennett loves the lemon ones, and will eat them all before you have the chance to stop her.

My very favorite books are many, but I will list a few of them here. The Holy Bible, The Life and Letters of Robert E. Lee, With Lee in Virginia, In Freedom's Cause, The Mind Invaders, The Scottish Chiefs, Pride and Prejudice, Wuthering Heights, Emma, Sense and Sensibility, The Killer Angels, Gods and Generals, The Last Full Measure, Adventure's of Sherlock Holmes, Lad: A Dog, Queen's Gift, A Knight of the White Cross, The Scarlet Pimpernel, War and Peace, The Last of The Mohicans, The Deerslayer, and many, many more.

Favored authors include C.H. Spurgeon, Dave Wilkerson, R.L. Dabney, Thomas Ice, A.C. Doyle, G.A. Henty, Inglis Clark Fletcher, Dave Hunt, Joshua Harris, Jane Austen, Jeff Shaara, Michael Shaara, A.P. Terhune, Baroness Orczy, James McPherson, Shelby Foote, Leo Tolstoy, Charlotte and Emily Bronte, and James Fenimore Cooper, to list a handful.

Foods.

Tantalizing my taste buds is an easy thing to do. Food has a very soft spot in my heart. You could say that it is a hobby of mine. I love those wonderful spices, tastes, flavors, recipes, and preparations of all kinds! Shortly before mealtime, I become the "pacer". The pacer is the guy who keeps circling around the kitchen in a lazy orbit, snacking and prying, and otherwise making a complete nuisance out of himself.

My favorite foods are cheeseburgers, fajitas, pizza, tacos, macaroni and cheese, chips of all kinds, deli sandwiches, Caesar salads, salsa and seasonings, Mexican food in general, home cooking, barbecue of any kind, roast chicken, baked potatoes, and any kind of chicken, beef, or pork. Shrimp, olives, golden pepperoncini peppers, apples, oranges, watermelons, pineapples, cottage cheese, cheese, cheese, and more cheese, cookies, cheesecake, chocolate cake, and chocolate cupcakes. I love candy too! (Who doesn't?) Starbursts, Skittles, Butterfinger, Sweet Tarts, M&Ms, crispy rice chocolate bars, and Tic Tacs. As you can see, I have quite an array of favorite foods, most of which are cholesterol high and unhealthy.

To come back and put it rather simply, I like pretty much every kind of food. Yum. I have favorites, which top my food chain, but I’d eat pictures of food if I could. Who hasn’t also be possessed of that strange disease? Those pictures are tasty looking!

Vehicles.

I tend to gravitate towards SUVs, trucks of all sizes, and concept cars. My absolute favorite, adored, and slobbered over car in the world is the Hummer H2, which I want with a passion only a guy can understand, obviously. I tried to make Mom and Tara understand, but they didn't get it. Man, I love that thing. I love to collect little Hummer H2 models and toys, as well as pictures. So if you ever see a military Hummer or Hummer H2 toy car or model and are feeling benevolent, send it to me and you'll be my friend for life! Hummers rule!

I also like the Toyota Tacoma and Tundra mid-sized sport utility truck lines, Ford F150 and F250 pickups with all the running boards, grills, winches, and all the rest of the icing on the cake. I particularly prefer the Ford Excursion as a suburban-type car for a family, and also admire the Plymouth Prowler and Chevrolet SSR concept cars.

Hobbies.

Besides all of the varied interests listed above, I also have many other miscellaneous interests. I fit these in at different times and seasons, and some are indirectly or directly related to some of the above pursuits. Talking to Mom and Tara, my best buddies, is one other pursuit I enjoy a great deal. My main creative pursuit is creative writing, which Mom says is my natural gift. My other interests are drawing maps, diagrams, plans, and pictures, woodworking, web site design, computers, electronics and electronic gadgets, audio equipment, target practice, exploring, fishing, hiking, biking, swimming, anything in the outdoors, and archery. I love to build models and model train sets, which is a talent I inherited from my Dad, who was a professional model builder. Other creative or leisure pursuits are photography, amateur astronomy or stargazing, bird watching, coin collecting, bullet collecting, and organizing.