Finding Direction: The Wind Vane Chronicles

Today’s interview is with Ft. Worth minister, Danny Sims, of the creatively named The Danny Sims Blog who astounds us with his superlative food tastes (just read what he says his favorite food is) and other illustrious previously unknown tidbits about his life.  Danny is with the Altamesa church in Ft. Worth where he has been for nine years.

Y’all enjoy his great interview and comment to let him know what you’ve learned about him.

In the meantime . . . Cheers & Blessings to you all today!  Dee
 

Part I – Basic Interview Questions

1.  What’s your favorite scripture?

Is this ok to say… I don’t have a favorite. Really. There are some texts I don’t particularly care for, especially those that call me to costly discipleship. But I find that even those become a blessing to me. I don’t mark in my Bible and I try hard not to have a favorite text. If that makes no sense that’s alright… My last answer might explain this a bit more…

2.  Vital Statistics: – Month, Day, (Year Optional) & Place you were born

February 22, 1963, Englewood, California.

3.  Names of spouse & Children:

Suzanne, Elijah, Hannah

4.  What brought you to where (the location) you are now?

9 years ago we moved to Fort Worth and the Altamesa Church, convinced this was a good place to be. We were right.

5.  Where all have you lived in your life?

Los Angeles, rural Kentucky, and Texas: Abilene, Houston, & Fort Worth

6.  What kind of work do you do?

Ministry

7.  What do you love most about your work:

People

8.  What do you like least about your work:

People. If it were not for the people ministry would be great. If this joke does not translate when read please forgive.

9.  Who has been the most influential person in your life & briefly why:

Beyond my family, I have to say a woman named Squeaky Walker. She is an humble servant of God who taught me to love Him.

10.  Any hidden talents:

11.  Little known fact about me:

Part 2 – Favorite Things

1.   Favorite Book (other than the Bible!):

Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck

2.  Favorite Movie:

The Matrix

3.  Favorite Food:

Good

4.  Favorite Kind of Music:

The contemplative worship genre… Fernando Ortega is a good example

5.  Favorite musical group or performer:

Right now I’d have to say I don’t have one. Sorry.

6.  Favorite song:

Jeremy Camp’s version of Beautiful One

7.  Favorite junk food:

Fish Filet

8.  Favorite childhood memory:

Being warm in the cold. And the time my dad fell into the creek while swinging across on a vine. Greatness for all.

Part 3 – Thought Questions

1.  What is the best meal you have ever eaten?

Two weeks ago at Buon Appetite in San Diego was pretty good.

2.  Where would you most like to visit that you have never been to before?

Jerusalem

3.  What is your proudest moment?

Birth of my kids

4.  What do you most regret?

The year I did not walk closely with The Lord while in grad school. I was quite full of myself.

5.  If money, health, etc. were no concern, what would you do with your time?

Read, write, travel, work with the poor in third world countries. They have so much to offer us and we don’t spend time with them to learn, only to help. By working with them I mean that I would learn more from them than I would give.

6.   What is your favorite book in the Bible and why?

This answer might explain my first answer. I try NOT to have a favorite. It is quite a Modern and Western world idea to speak of a “favorite” text whereas most of our predecessors in the Christian faith did not have access to a Bible and could not have begun to consider one text over another, one book over another.

They may have thought of favorite stories, but not books or verses. There is nothing wrong with a favorite or with your question… To suggest there is, well that is not my point. In fact I enjoy hearing people talk of their “favorite” book or verse. It’s just a discipline I have chosen for myself to not write in my Bible.

I try hard to not look at a particular text, verse, or book as a favorite. In this way I hope to always be open to new insights, even from a verse or book I have read hundreds or thousands of times before. If I had written in the margins I might be persuaded that I have learned all I need to know about this verse back when I wrote it there.

Here’s an example: The story of Noah tells of a catastrophic time (most of the people in Noah’s world died). I think Noah might well be shocked to see that his story has become a favorite theme of nursery decorations (by the way, we decorated our son’s nursery with Noah, Mrs. Noah, and all the gang)!

But here’s the thing: I might not be open to new lessons from this old story if I unintentionally already know all The Spirit would teach me. That’s what having “favorites” has done to me in the past, so I work to not have favorites. This works well for me and perhaps no one else. I’m OK with that.