Hmmm. Where to start? How about a joke? No? Okay. We'll save those for later. My name is Gabe Bedford and I am from Columbia, Missouri. When I say that I am from Columbia I am more or less lying to you. Columbia is where I live and attended college at the University of Missouri. I still have 2 years of school left but when, where and how that takes place will be decided by God and he will let me know. I actually grew up in a TINY (see what I did there?) town of about 900 people named Auxvasse, Missouri. I'm almost positive "Auxvasse" means "muddy water" or "mudhole" in some language that I am not familiar with if I'm not mistaken. Either that or my parents found out early that I am extremely gullible and now if I'm wrong MY WHOLE LIFE HAS BEEN BASED OFF OF A LIE!!! JK friends. Let's move on to the rest of me.
I attended high school at North Callaway R-1 in Kingdom City, Missouri. I played football, basketball, and baseball. I LOVE sports! I also particpated in a lot of the school plays and musicals…even though I sound like a train that has actual tires as opposed to wheels and slams on the brakes going 100+ and then taking out a couple of giraffe's along the way when I sing…I enjoy the acting part!!! I would love to be in a movie some day. (Cross your fingers) I was also a part of FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) and to be quite honest I think I was just there to check it off of my list like I did when I attended chuch throughout school. It bothers me that I didn't pay attention to all of the things God was trying to tell/teach me during school b/c I sure could have used the advice he had for me…there's another thing about me, sometimes I'm an idiot when someone is trying to throw a little knowledge in my face and I have to learn the hard way. God has been teaching me some listening skills. He will make me better at it.
As I mentioned earlier I attended the University of Missouri for 2 years before deciding I had NO idea what the heck I was doing there!! I switched my major, I believe, 4 times. The only thing I was sure of in college is that I was not sure of anything….which is sometimes still the case. Only now the only things I am certain of are that I trust God completely to lead me in the direction that he wants me to go, and that direction is currently the World Race. I'll dive more into that in another blog. For now we will just say I have a bookmark in the college chapter of my life, and while it is 100% my plan to return to school and finish, we all know that God has the best plan for our lives, and whether or not that is to finish school is TBD…
Now we'll go more recent and then I'll just give you a list of things I like and don't like. I work at State Farm as claims adjuster. I take phone calls all day of every day listening to people who's heads are about to explode b/c they just want their money for the accident that was "not their fault" and we have yet to speak to everyone involved…that usually ends in me being yelled or cursed at. It's certainly an interesting job. I am a member of "The Crossing Church" and I love it! It's the first church I have ever been a part of that made me feel like it was okay to not always understand everything, that there are toooons of people who feel the same, and we will all work through God to figure it out together.
Now that I have babbled on aimlessly for several minutes, let me provide you w/ a list of things that make me smile :), and things that make me frown :(.
I like… Pepsi, lemon-lime gatorade, kit-kats, fall, playing recreational sports, going golfing, watching sports, reading my Bible, going to church, hanging out w/ friends, going to movies, listening to music, pretending I'm working at work when I'm actually reading blogs from the World Race, lecrae, strumming the guitar terribly and believing I sound awesome, singing loudly in my car, going to Mizzou games, going to Cardinal games, Lebron James, meeting new people but more importantly getting to know them, musicals, comedy, learning about different cultures b/c I am so ignorant of them, challenging myself, being out of my comfort zone, being told I can't do something, showing people the love that God shows me, teaching people things that are new to them and being taught things that are new to me, asiago cheese bagels, toasted blueberry bagels w/ strawberry cream cheese (SERIOUSLY, TRY IT!!) swimming, bowling, going fishing for 30 minutes until I am bored, sleeping in, reading a good book, making people smile, laughing at myself, learning to grow, spending time w/ my family, pretending like my ice cream smells bad and then shoving it in someone's nose after I have them smell it, giving hugs, treating everyone I meet like I've known them my whole life and them being incredibly creeped out by it at first but then realizing that that's how I am and being okay and/or tolerating it, corn dogs, spontaneity, going w/ the flow, acts of randomness, always sunny in philadelphia, friday night lights, romantic comedies, spaghetti, change, the list goes on just ask.
I dislike… wet towels, bologna, dr. pepper, rootbeer, soggy french fries, hangnails, stubbing my toe, letting God, myself, my family and my friends down, going to bed even though I love sleeping, working all week, losing a friend or family member for any reason, tyler perry shows, pointless arguments, meatloaf, tomatoes, spinach, turning the tv back off instead of on b/c i hit the power button twice b/c there was a delay and I got TRICKED!!, flat tires when you are already running late, again, the list goes on, just ask.
Well that is a little (maybe a lot) about myself. I am excited beyond words for the World Race and having a chance to meet and get to know each and every one of my fellow racers. If you want to know anything else, or if you're just having a bad day and want to hear a complete idiot make you laugh, holler at me!
