It has been a busy week with baby Emma, and I’ve had this post in the queue for a while. So, I thought this week was the perfect opportunity to share this with you. With top-ten lists being the ever-popular thing to do, today, I thought I’d pull back the curtain, and give you a peek into my life.Here are then facts that you may not know about my family and I.
1. I love Extreme Sports.
My passion for extreme sports began as a child, when my parents enrolled me in Ed Parker’s Kenpo Karate. In high-school I became good enough that I was asked to teach classes. Then, in college my love for extreme sports grew. I took up mountain biking, hiking, and a brief stint of sky-diving. My brother and I have hiked to the top of Mt. Whitney–the tallest mountain on the continental U.S.–in a day. I’ve broken my nose rock-climbing, and spent hours with my brother digging our jeep out of a ditch, during our numerous off-roading adventures.
2. I’ve watched more Barbie movies than you.
I also know the names of all of the Disney princesses. I love to act goofy, and dance with my girls. As a daddy of four daughters, it’s part of my daddy role–and I would’t change a thing!
3. I wear superhero socks.
They were a Christmas gift from my girls and now their my favorite socks to wear. For some reason, socks and t-shirts with superheros on them are always more comfortable.
4. I’m divorced.
This is the least favorite part of my story to talk about. It’s something that I’m not proud of. It’s also part of who I am. The struggles that I went through, as well as some of the shame and blame I felt during this ordeal are what has lead me to write about blended family life. I believe that this is an area of my life that God is working out for my good and His glory. It’s also an area of my life than I am willing to talk about. So, if you have questions, or are going through similar struggles, know that you are not alone, and that you are welcome to reach out any time.
5. I, Jed Jurchenko, try to write in an SEO friendly way.
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. Bloggers who write in an SEO friendly way, write in hopes of making their posts easily found by Google search engines. This means that I, Jed Jurchenko, sometimes hone in on a key word in my posts–Kind of like what I’m doing right now. I do this because while I like writing, I love being read. Writing in an SEO friendly way helps me to reach more people, and keeps me focused  on the topic. I haven’t quite figured out the secret yet, but I’m working on it. So if you have any tips or tricks that work especially well, please feel free to share.
6. I met my wife, Jenny, though E-Harmony.
Jenny and I went on our first date five-and-a-half years ago. We met outside Village Pizzeria, a tiny restaurant with gorgeous view of the San Diego bay. After two years of dating, I asked Jenny to be my wife. We were married a year later. There is no doubt, I married up!
7. I don’t always attend church.
I wish I was more consistent in this area, and am trying to be. Growing up, my family and I never missed a Sunday. Now, with life as busy as it is, church attendance is inconsistent at best. I’m including this here because I wanted to share my real-self with you. The good, bad, and ugly. Also, I want you to know this is a judgment-free zone. If you’re enjoying this site, but are an imperfect human being, know that you’re in good company.
8. Jesus and family are the two most important parts of my life.
When I was three-years-old, I prayed and asked Jesus into my heart. Since then, I’ve been growing in my understanding of what it means to be a Christ-follower daily. If you read my blog on a regular basis, then it probably comes as no surprise that Jesus and family are the two most important parts of my life. Although this isn’t a little known fact about me, it’s something so important that I had to include it on the list!
9. Sharing personal information is a challenge for me.
I’m a therapist at heart. I know how to answer a question with a question. Ask me something personal, and it’s likely that I’ll find a sneaky way to redirect the conversation before you know what’s happened. Sharing personal information about myself isn’t easy for me. Thus, posts like this one are not my favorite ones to write. However, I do recognize the value of being real, and as a result, I ‘m striving to grow in this area.
10. I once failed a grade-school spelling test–In graduate school.
School is one of my strengths. I graduated from Southern California Seminary with a Masters of Divinity. I returned a few years later and completed a Master of Arts in counseling and psychology. Although I love writing, I’m not a great speller. In fact, while I was attending graduate school, I was turned down for a job as a teacher’s assistant due to failing the grade-school spelling test–twice! Fortunately, my spelling and grammar are improving. I’ve also have good friends–like Erik, from The Best Advice so Far–who are kind enough to help me correct the egregious mistakes 🙂
11. I love it when people take the time to comment.
Just for fun, I thought I would add in a bonus fact, with a call to action. Now that you know a little bit more about me, I would like to get to know you better. I would love it if you would share some little known facts about yourself in the comments below. I’m looking forward to continuing the conversation and I can’t wait to hear more about YOU!
Sincerely, Jed Jurchenko
Family, Friendship, and Faith Link-Up
This link-up is an excellent place to meet new friends, network, and share your posts. Please feel free to include any family, friendship, and faith related posts. If you have time, please visit some of the other submissions, leave a comment, and make some new connections–after all, this is what teaming-up is all about!
Finally, I’d love it if you would grab a button for your site, or link back to the Family Friendship and Faith Fridays, link-up, in order to make it easy for others to join in!
[Tweet “I’m Teaming-up at the #Family #Friendship and #Faith link-up. Join the Party! “]
#7 new #8 we have in common. Many will tell us the one can’t be without the other. But I beg to differ. One known fact about me since you are asking is I’m a big kid at heart. Take me in a candy store, I get giddy. Allow me to watch an animated movie and I turn into a five year old. I guess that is why I absolutely love being a grandmother because I get to be a “big kid” all over again.
Thank you for hosting!
Stuff about me…let’s see. I have 11 kids, no twins, all single births. I didn’t become a Christian until I was 32, which was 9 years ago when I was pregnant with our seventh child, so, no, I didn’t become a mom of many out of religious conviction. Also, I was a dancer for over 20 years and taught dance for at least half of that time. That’s honestly the only interesting stuff I can think of! Thanks for sharing yours!
Thanks, Jed! Fun insights and good advice all in one post!
Thank you for hosting Jed! I loved finding out more about you. I can’t stand onions. I love perfume. I have a strong aversion to any bad odor. I became a Christian at 7 years old. I wanted to be a writer as early as second grade when I won a book award. It’s so much easier to write a book when you’re 8, lol.
Love all the fun facts, Jed. I come from a his, hers and ours family. I’m the ours part of the equation, and I can tell you from experience. Our past definitely doesn’t define our future. My parents came through really tough divorces and made a choice to build new family together based on the truth of God’s word. There is freedom and forgiveness in Christ, and He has proven that through my family.
That’s somthing most people don’t know about me unless I tell them, because when they look at my family…they don’t see the scars of the past, they see the scars of Jesus hands and feet.
I’m praying the same for you and your family!
Thanks for hosting! Loved the part about sharing personal info. I do the same, ha!
Emma is such a great name! Thanks for sharing these fun facts about yourself, and for hosting! Hope you all have a blessed weekend 🙂
Hi Jed,
Something most people don’t know about me is that I have an affinity for the Irish culture. I decorate the front of my home for all of the holidays and it almost kills me that I can’t put up little green shamrocks all over my window! I’ve never traveled abroad, but when/if I do, Ireland is my destination of choice.
What a great post! I loved the honesty and overwhelming grace. Thank you!
I love seeing updates about you and your beautiful family! I love knowing that I knew you “way back when” at New Hope (my girls have fond memories of you being such a fun children’s pastor)! And most of all I love seeing how God has moved in your life. Thank you for sharing so honestly. ????
this is such a good post! I LOVE socks too! and superhero socks are the best!!
I love the quick fun facts it helps us get to know you a bit better. ????
I need to study the whole SEO thing!
Hey Jed,
Love the list. On #4, today I heard someone say “make your mess your message.” You’re doing it.
If you’re not using Yoast SEO WordPress plug-in or a similar plug-in, it’s a must. It rates the SEO quality of your post before you publish it, so you can make changes. It seems to be working for me. Most of my traffic is search traffic. In July, I will have as many visitors so far this year as I had all of last year.
Finally, one thing about me: I’m a vegetarian who raises meat goats for breeding and pets. How about that!
Nice post.
Sharing personal information is so hard for me. Many times when I have done it, people have twisted it and put it on the newswire for other people adding their own views to it. So, I pretty much don’t talk and keep to myself. Even when it is something good about myself, it blows up in my face. About six of months ago, we had to do this at work-share one little known thing about myself-I think I said I was editor-in-chief of my college newspaper. There were snickers and somebody said “Yeah right, it most likely a one page blank,blank, blank and other said “It was at loser college”. That is par for my course.
So putting myself on front street. I was music director of my junior college radio station (KCRH), was sports editor, city editor, op-ed editor and editor-in-chief of my university newspaper (The Pioneer) and never went in field.
This is a terrific post! You have now inspired me to do one of my own in the near future 🙂
Thanks for hosting 🙂 Hope your having a great weekend with your girls!
Hi, jed,
but there are so many good churches in san diego! (Ha – just giving you a hard time) – Let’s see I’m an open book so most people already know things – but you don’t so here goes: didn’t marry til 35 (my mom had given up…) – first time for both of us – we thought we were pretty smart but weren’t – first few years were hard (on me – mark doesn’t recall… (: – we have 3 daughters who give us joy but keep us on our knees, a good place to be; I’m self-published, I like to speak to women’s events, just finished a string so looking forward to a break; i make a bomb chocolate cake (4 different recipes on my blog ) – ok, enough! bless you and your fam. love the disney princesses. beauty is my fav.
Jed, I LOVE this post! Extreme sports – who knew?!
I’m a chaplain – now – yet I spent my career with Johnson & Johnson.
The folks who I spent my teenage years with with laugh that God can use me as a chaplain and blogger. I just whispered back, “Hush! I was there too, remember…”
And God just moved me BACK to where I lived as a teen after I said NEVER 40 years ago.
Look at those words and the timeline. Who has the last laugh? Our Heavenly Father always does…
Susan,
I didn’t know that you serveas a chaplain. That is awesome, and I can see you being incredibly good at it! It’s fun to hear how God is working in your life, and how you are serving others!
I learned some things about you here, Jed. I don’t think I knew you had a brother, for one thing.
One thing not everyone knows about me is that I’ve never thrown up.
Erik,
That’s impressive! Throwing up is over-rated, and I suggest continuing to avoid it 🙂