Today is my birthday, and I turn 40. Instead of just writing about myself, I decided to ask some of the people who know me best (my team, family, and closest friends) what they’ve noticed about me over the years. I thought you might find this interesting, and I want to share their perspectives with you. So here’s the list my team put together, in their own words:

1. He hates phone calls.
2. He’s obsessed with details.
3. He doesn’t like avocado.
4. He gets really eager for new ideas to come to fruition quickly.
5. One of his favorite appetizers is sautéed mushrooms, specifically from Budd’s Broiler.
6. He pays attention to what’s going on in other people’s lives, and he genuinely cares enough to ask.
7. He always emphasizes making room for the things that matter most.
8. He told one of the staff on their first day that one of his love languages is results.
9. He is very quick to make decisions.
10. He does not like to drive and would rather someone else drive him, especially on longer trips.
11. He is a fan of revenge and justice-driven superhero movies. The more action, the better.
12. He prioritizes his marriage over everything else.
13. He has a sweet tooth, especially for Gorishki and Vafli (Slavic desserts) and lava cake.
14. He’s a morning person.
15. He’s very disciplined.
16. He’s not a people pleaser.
17. He is very direct and doesn’t beat around the bush.
18. He appreciates when people close to him are honest with him and aren’t intimidated by his platform.
19. His siblings respect him.
20. His love language is acts of service, because of how much responsibility he carries.
21. If you bring him a problem, he appreciates it when you also bring a solution with it.
22. The most stressful thing for him right now is watching Sammy alone. It’s the most vulnerable he feels.
23. It took Pastor Vasiliy years to teach him not to shout while he preaches.
24. He’s a clean freak. It’s actually one of the things that attracted Lana to him (his car and his hygiene were spotless). He gets it from his mom.
25. He grew up on a farm in Ukraine, but he never picked up any farm skills, even though he grew up milking cows.
26. Unlike his brothers and dad, who are very handy, he can’t fix anything physically. But mentally, he can fix almost anything.
27. He hates going inside of stores. If he doesn’t see what he needs immediately, he assumes it’s not there and wants to leave right away.
28. He almost fainted in the hospital when he saw Sammy being born. He had to sit down.
29. He doesn’t prefer sushi, but he loves Lana and she loves it, so he goes often.
30. He loves good coffee and exploring new coffee shops. His go-to coffee order is a small latte, extra hot.
31. He loves bright colors, but he doesn’t wear them, out of respect for Lana’s taste.
32. He lets his mom, his sisters, and now Lana pick out his clothes, he’s never really dressed himself. He’s very obedient about that.
33. His favorite food is steak.
34. He loves anything that rhymes.
35. At his baby dedication, when he was eight months old, a woman, Oksana, came up afterward and told his mom, ‘You need to really pray for him, because God is going to use him greatly when he’s grown.’ His mom had no idea what she meant at the time.
36. He has never been to an actual sports game, though he watches a few online. He would rather spend hours in a coffee shop with a book than be at a sporting event.
37. He dislikes playing board games, or any other of types of games.
38. He does not enjoy playing sports (especially golf), unless it’s with with his wife. With Lana, he will go hiking, rollerblading, paddle boarding, etc.
39. He genetically has good teeth and does not get a lot of cavities in spite of the amount of dessert and sweets he consumes.
40. Road biking, sauna, jacuzzi, and cold plunge is how he takes his mind off of things.

I hope you enjoyed learning 40 new things about me for my 40th birthday. Thank you for celebrating with me, and I’m grateful for your support and prayers as I step into this new decade.