25 Random Things About Me

Hello Fellow Chewers of the Cud. For those of you who are NOT on Facebook... I was asked to write 25 Random Things About Me. It is away that people get to know you a little better on this social interactive network...so I wrote 25 little things that most people don't know about Ol' Ruminatin' Rod. I decided to go ahead and put it on the blog site...in case anyone was wondering..."What makes this guy tick." Well...after reading this you may not know what makes me tick... but you will know me just a little bit better...and have more insight in how to pray for me.

25 RANDOM THINGS ABOUT ME (Rodney Lewis Boyd)

#25 I am the president of the Andy Griffith Show Rerun Watchers Fan Club... the Rockvale Chapter. The name of the club (named after a phrase or line from the show) is...JUST A BED AND A BIBLE. Brenda had T-shirts made up for the club on my 40th birthday with Andy's picture on my shirt...Helen Crump's picture on her shirt...and Opie's picture on Phillip's shirt...with JUST A BED AND A BIBLE on the back.


#24. I met Elvis Presley in 1967 behind RCA Recording Studio...Studio B on a Sunday Afternoon. There were around 20 people there and it was a surreal experience as he stepped out of the Eldorado Cadillac. After it was all over...I cried like a baby.

#23. I met Brenda Williams at a band practice in a garage (a garage band) on a Sunday Afternoon. Hmmmmmmmm....God things seems to happen to me on Sunday afternoons. NOTE: I did not cry like a baby when I met Brenda.

#22. Brenda liked the lead guitar player at the practice mentioned in #23. I played rhythm guitar. You do the math.

#21. I received my Black Belt in Wado Ryu Karate. I originally started taking karate in 1972...and dropped out after a couple of years. I started back when I turned 50 years old. I persevered for 6 years and accomplished the goal when I was 56 years old.

#20. I attended a Bible school in Chattanooga Tennessee in 1971 to get my degree in Bible...and become an Evangelist. I dropped out before I got kicked out after being accused of running a house of ill-repute. Oh by the way...the allegations were false.

#19. I was a "song leader" at New Life Chapel (early charismatic church in Murfreesboro)...Followers Fellowship (a Chi Alpha Assembly of God College ministry at MTSU)...and The Full Gospel Businessmen Fellowship International (FGBMFI Murfreesboro). This was before the working titles of Worship Pastor, Psalmist, Creative Arts Pastor ,etc.)

#18. I attempted to go to school at Oral Roberts University. When I applied to ORU...I had a grade point average of 1.6. I told them that I realized that this was below their standards of acceptance...but I was EXPECTING A MIRACLE. They did not respond back. Years later I went to the ORU campus...and one of their clean cut students told me..."I know you are not a student here." When I asked how he know...he told me..."We don't allow beards here at ORU."

#17. I submitted articles for CHARISMA MAGAZINE...and got a letter of rejection..BUT...they told me that if I was a writer...that if I never got published...I should WRITE. That was the beginnings of the RUMINATOR RAMBLINGS. The current form of the RUMINATOR RAMBLINGS...is because of Richard Jacobson...who recommended that I should start blogging. Thanks Ricardo.

#16 At one point I was so DISCOURAGED about teaching the Word of God...that I declared that I WOULD NEVER TEACH THE WORD OF GOD AGAIN. Never say never. Thanks to Mark Robertson and Wade Hutchinson who encouraged me to take up the chalk stick once again (pre-dated erasable markers). Also...thanx and a tip O Da Hat to my pastor Ronnie Meek for giving me the opportunity to walk in my giftings at Smyrna Assemblies (S.A.)

#15 I have been known to put on (1) pink tights (2) boots (3) a shirt with a glitter heart (4) a flowing scarlet cape...and appearing in public as CAPTAIN LOVE.

#14 The name of the band that I was in was called THE BLIND DISTORTION. We also went by a second name (ala Plastic Ono Band) called THE BLACK ROOM...because I had painted my room black...and it was a play on Cream's song WHITE ROOM. i was also in a swinging little Christian band called HOSANNA where we not only sang...but praised the Lord just as much as we wanted (ala Archie Bell and the Drells from Houston Texas). My band mates in Hosanna were Tom Rutherford (vocals, guitar, drums) and Mark (Weedhopper) Webster on bass guitar.

#13. Brenda led me to the Lord in her driveway...after we had a conversation at Shoney's drive in (where car hops came out with your food...before Sonic)...and she told me as I was eating an onion ring...that I was going to hell. (Ask me for full details)

#12. In high school (Central High School) I got a couple of teachers grade books and change some F's to B's. After a convoluted college career....Bible School...Telecommunications...I eventually ended up with a Masters of Education in Speech Communication...and am actually working in the field for which I went to school as a Speech-Language Pathologist.

#11. At one time...I played the bass guitar in the Smyrna Assembly House Worship Band. I was known as THE RIPPER...because I played a borrowed 1964 Gibson Ripper Bass Guitar. I would warm up with the theme to Barney Miller.

#10. It's a little known fact that I am a fan of PHIL KEAGGY...and NO...contrary to urban legend...I AM NOT A STALKER OF PHIL KEAGGY.

# 09. I had the honor of giving Phil Keaggy my Fender Princeton Reverb Amplifier (tube amp)...and it can be seen on the DVD The Master and Musician 30th Anniversary Tour. When I gave it to Phil...he told me that it was this same type of Amp that he used on his album WHAT A DAY...and had been think lately that he wished he had that amp again. WOW...it's the little things that make me happy.

#08. 1989 was a turning point in our lives...when we were blessed with Phillip Stephen Boyd joining our family when he was 3 days old. He is now 19 years old....and is still a strong blessing in our lives.

#07. I went swimming with Phillip in the AMAZON RIVER when he was 8 years old. We ran into Stephen Curtis Chapman at the airport on our way to Peru...and told him we were using THE GREAT ADVENTURE as our theme song. Since then Phillip has saddled up his horse (first line of the song)...and gone to Peru...Wherry Housing as an intern...and multiple trips to Biloxi. We love that boy.

#06. Brenda...the love of my life since 1969...my wife since 1972...and I love to watch NCIS. We watch reruns and the regular run on Tuesday nights. Brenda says that I look like Gibbs (played by Mark Harmon who was voted the Sexiest Man Alive by People Magazine). Hmmmmmmmmm....Brenda smiles and stifles a laugh when she says that. Could it be that I am not the HUNK that I think I am...but more of a CHUNK?

#05. Brenda and I occasionally smack each other on the forehead...because years ago we were standing in line at a place called THE BURGER BROIL...and we overheard a couple arguing...when the woman said..."I will smack a knot on your head that Oral Roberts can't take off." NOTE: This pre-dates the GIBB SLAP on NCIS.

#04. I backslid (actually it was more like faceforwardslid) in 1972...and sinned more than before I was saved in 1970. I smoked more dope, sniffed more chemicals, drank more booze and did more disgusting stuff after I was saved than before. I was like a DOG RETURNING TO HIS VOMIT. If you dug up the pig poop and mud under the Prodigal Son...you would find me. NOTE: I came back to the Lord...and am still standing by the grace and mercy of God.

#03. When I was 6 years old...I was listening to Elvis Presley (Jailhouse Rock)...Brook Benton and Dinah Washington (Rockin' Good Way and Baby You Got What It Takes)...Woody Herman (Woodchoppers Ball)...Glenn Miller (In The Mood, String of Pearls)...while my little frineds were listening to Rootie Kazootie and Mary Had A Little Lamb. That is why now...I love PAT BOONE...and RESURRECTION BAND. I am an ecclectic, schizophrenic music lover.

#02. My aunt Christine bought me a Philco Color T.V. Set in 1968...so I could watch the 1968 Elvis Christmas Special (later known as the 68 Comeback Special)...in COLOR. Life was tough in 1968.

#01. And the numero uno random fact about me is...IT'S ALL ABOUT ME BABY...IT'S ALL ABOUT ME. Oh I'm sorry that goes with the various TOP TEN LISTS that we ramble about periodically. The number one random fact about me is I LOVE THE FATHER, SON AND HOLY GHOST...WITH ALL MY HEART, SOUL, MIND AND STRENGTH...AND MY NEIGHBOR AS MYSELF.

FINAL THOUGHTS...FINALLY

Well...if you hung in to the bitter end...reading this thing...the you are an offical RUMINATOR. You know have a thumbnail sketch about who I am...but I have withheld some stuff for another day.

Love and Random Kisses
Rodney "Nobody Told Me There Would Be Days Like These Boyd