The Long-awaited Biography

I suppose it’s about time I finally put up my biography…wow, I’m bad.

My name is Stephanie. I am 20 (and a half!). I was born in Watertown, New York (waaaay up North by Lake Ontario), but my family moved to Mesa, Arizona when I was still a baby. I was blessed to be raised in a Christian home. My parents both grew up Seventh-Day Baptists (and no, that is not the same thing as Seventh-Day Adventists). I don’t know a whole lot about the denomination, only that they observe the Sabbath on Saturday. Apparently it is a New England thing, because no one I talk to has ever heard of them. Anyway, my dad was born and raised on a farm in upstate New York, and my mom was born in Alabama, raised in Rhode Island, one of 11 children. She was a pastor’s kid (also a farm kid) and sadly is now one of the only one of her siblings who follows the Christian faith. All that to say, I come from a long line of Seventh-Day Baptist farmers, I love the country and despise living in the city.

I have two older brothers. The oldest is 10 years older than me, and he and his wife are celebrating their 10th anniversary this year! They have 4 children (Adam – 8, Jasmine – 5, Andrew – 3, and Michael – 1). Ther had another child, Joseph, after their first, but he died within a few hours of being born. Fortunately, we had known throughout the pregnancy that this was going to happen, so it wasn’t a surprise. My other brother is 3 years older than me. I love my family, expecially the kids!! I love being Aunt Stephanie!! :)

I accepted Christ at an early age, and I have my parents to thank for keeping me in line all these years and for the fact that I never went through a rebellious stage. Of course, I’ve had many, many times when I’ve been mad at my parents and defied their authority, but in the end, I have never turned my back on my faith, and it is because my parents (as obnoxious as they may have been at times) set a good example for me. I grew up in an American Baptist church and attended each summer and winter camp through Junior High, when we changed churches. I am currently going to a non-denominational church called East Valley Bible Church, where I am actively involved in the worship ministry (when I’m home, at least). I’m at school in Texas because my old worship leader came here once upon a time and strongly suggested it, saying that they have a new music program, and the worship program he went through was amazing!

So my aspiration is to be a worship leader. I don’t know in what area exactly God wants me (women’s ministry, children’s ministry, or the main leader), but I feel I have no other option but to use the talents He has given me to serve and glorify Him. For this reason I am getting my BA in Music with a concentration in Worship. (I feel like I’ve just applied for a college or a job)

Some random things about me: I love the color green; I love horseback riding; I am extremely sentimental, not so much in the movies I watch (I can’t stand chick flicks), but in my life in general…I have an insane love for my family, and it really kills me to be two states away from them; I like poetry; I like dark chocolate more than milk chocolate; my favorite band is Superchic[k], I work in the photo lab at Walgreens back home, and it can be quite entertaining; I hate shopping; I have an unhealthy addiction to Sun Chips; one day I will own a Corvette (preferably a Stingray) because they are the most beautiful cars ever created; I don’t like cats. at all; my favorite food is my mom’s Corned Beef; My nickname in Junior High was “Stephie Jean,” and in High School it was “O” because apparently my family’s last name used to be O’Brannon; I am no kind of atheltic. The only reason I made the basketball team in jr. high was because so few people tried out that no one got cut, and the only reason I tried out was because I wanted to be like my big brothers; I played French Horn for a couple years; I’ve traveled everywhere for choir — Hawaii, New York, California, Europe (England, France, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Venice, Germany), and after this semester ends I’ll be going to Korea!

Well, that’s more than anyone ever wanted to know about me, but hey, this is my bio, and I’m going to tell you whatever I want! :)
God bless!

~Stephanie Brannon

I suppose it’s about time I finally put up my biography…wow, I’m bad.

My name is Stephanie. I was born in Watertown, New York (waaaay up North by Lake Ontario), but my family moved to Mesa, Arizona when I was still a baby. I was blessed to be raised in a Christian home. My parents both grew up Seventh-Day Baptists (and no, that is not the same thing as Seventh-Day Adventists). I don’t know a whole lot about the denomination, only that they observe the Sabbath on Saturday. Apparently it is a New England thing, because no one I talk to has ever heard of them. Anyway, my dad was born and raised on a farm in upstate New York, and my mom was born in Alabama, raised in Rhode Island, one of 11 children. She was a pastor’s kid (also a farm kid) and sadly is now one of the only one of her siblings who follows the Christian faith. All that to say, I come from a long line of Seventh-Day Baptist farmers, I love the country and despise living in the city.

I have two older brothers. The oldest is 10 years older than me, and he and his wife are celebrating their 10th anniversary this year! They have 4 children (Adam – 8, Jasmine – 5, Andrew – 3, and Michael – 1). Ther had another child, Joseph, after their first, but he died within a few hours of being born. Fortunately, we had known throughout the pregnancy that this was going to happen, so it wasn’t a surprise. My other brother is 3 years older than me. I love my family, expecially the kids!! I love being Aunt Stephanie!! :)

I accepted Christ at an early age, and I have my parents to thank for keeping me in line all these years and for the fact that I never went through a rebellious stage. Of course, I’ve had many, many times when I’ve been mad at my parents and defied their authority, but in the end, I have never turned my back on my faith, and it is because my parents (as obnoxious as they may have been at times) set a good example for me. I grew up in an American Baptist church and attended each summer and winter camp through Junior High, when we changed churches. I am currently going to a non-denominational church called East Valley Bible Church, where I am actively involved in the worship ministry (when I’m home, at least). I’m at school in Texas because my old worship leader came here once upon a time and strongly suggested it, saying that they have a new music program, and the worship program he went through was amazing!

So my aspiration is to be a worship leader. I don’t know in what area exactly God wants me (women’s ministry, children’s ministry, or the main leader), but I feel I have no other option but to use the talents He has given me to serve and glorify Him. For this reason I am getting my BA in Music with a concentration in Worship. (I feel like I’ve just applied for a college or a job)

Some random things about me: I love the color green; I love horseback riding; I am extremely sentimental, not so much in the movies I watch (I can’t stand chick flicks), but in my life in general…I have an insane love for my family, and it really kills me to be two states away from them; I like poetry; I like dark chocolate more than milk chocolate; my favorite band is Superchic[k], I work in the photo lab at Walgreens back home, and it can be quite entertaining; I hate shopping; I have an unhealthy addiction to Sun Chips; one day I will own a Corvette (preferably a Stingray) because they are the most beautiful cars ever created; I don’t like cats. at all; my favorite food is my mom’s Corned Beef; My nickname in Junior High was “Stephie Jean,” and in High School it was “O” because apparently my family’s last name used to be O’Brannon; I am no kind of atheltic. The only reason I made the basketball team in jr. high was because so few people tried out that no one got cut, and the only reason I tried out was because I wanted to be like my big brothers; I played French Horn for a couple years; I’ve traveled everywhere for choir — Hawaii, New York, California, Europe (England, France, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Venice, Germany), and after this semester ends I’ll be going to Korea!

Well, that’s more than anyone ever wanted to know about me, but hey, this is my bio, and I’m going to tell you whatever I want! :)

God bless!

~Stephanie Brannon

Ann Elizabeth Strassner

I was born on May 7 in Kenner, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans. My name is on a brick outside of the aquarium.
I was named after a wonderful elderly woman named Ann Elizabeth Breen.
I have five brothers and a sister, all of us homeschooled from day one. Despite her overall demeanor of very-sane-ness, everyone thought that my mother was insane when she made the then-radical decision to homeschool. Time has proven otherwise.

I like happy colors. Like blue, green and yellow.
I love to read, to write when it is not obligatory, to play the piano, and to sing in choir. I also love to eat, sleep and waste time.
I do not like to sweat, nor do I like to smell. Thus I do not spend much time outdoors. And I don’t like the beach. I always end up sandy, salty and sticky. Which is unpleasant.
I’m not any good at sports or most games in general. Having five brothers did not seem to do much for me in that area. Apparently talent and coordination are not simply transmitted by association. Basically, I never learned because I was never taught, and I do not care to learn now as I dislike humiliation.

I am very happy to be at school, and I love to learn. Unless an assignment is due. When more than one is due I retreat from society for days. But I love people so I can’t stay gone long.

Above all, I strive to make it my daily goal to “grow in grace and in the knowledge of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and forever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18)

Peaches and Hippos


I’m from Georgia,

I love UGA, Atlanta and peaches.
Its grandeur does, in fact, surpasses that of Texas.
I’m brand new to college, 19, and a thousand miles from home.
The provision and circumstances that brought me here are credible to none other than our Lord. He is so good. I have no doubt I’m where God has called me, now it’s time to learn. 
Outside of this seminary (and even in it) there are people lost, dying and going to Hell. My desire is not to understand lofty philosophy, but to gain a truer understanding of what it is to truly follow Christ and literally be His hands and feet
how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? 
And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? 
And how are they to hear without someone preaching? (Romans 10)

Hippos are the greatest animal God has ever created:
They kill more humans a year than any other African animal
Not only can they run up to 15 mph they can hold their breath up to 30 min. underwater
It gets hot in Africa, Hippos secrete an oil for sunscreen
Fort Worth has them at the zoo – so: I can’t wait.

My name is John Phillips, this is my first semester at the college. I am 29, married and have 3 children, 2 girls, 4 and 2 years old, and a son who was born on my birthday in September of 07. I am youth minister at FBC Meridian and have been full time there since Nov. 07. Prior to that I was a firefighter/paramedic with the Cleburne F.D. for 6 years. My wife and I will celebrate 7 awesome years together this June (9 if you count the dating). If you can’t already tell, I am a blessed man. The Lord has abundantly provided for me and once I really figured out that His will is my blessing I offered all of me to Him. I lived for many years as a half hearted worldly excuse of a Christian and I am not proud of that but thank God for the lessons learned and the good He has brought out of it. I would love to talk to anyone about what the Lord has done for me, it really is an amazing story of how God carries us.

Love In Christ,
John

Tobias Harder


My name is Tobias Harder. I’m in my second and also my last semester at this College. I have the chance to study here because my Dad is on a sabbatical year at swbts. Me and my family (7 kids + 2 parents) came to the States last summer. It is my last semester because I decided to finish my degree at the College in Bonn in Germany(some of you might have heard of it).

There are a lot of weird conceptions some people have about Germany and German people. I would like to correct some of these views a little bit right here:
1. We don’t drink as much beer as one drinks water. (although some drink quite a lot..)
2. Not a lot of people wear these clothes you can see on the picture. It is a traditional dressing from Bavaria.
3. Yes, it’s true. German cars are very good (i don’t wanna say they are best, but..)
4. Yes, we don’t like the French, though we got along pretty well in the past 30 years..
5. Interesting: The majority of Germans doesn’t like Americans a lot. George Bush and the recent wars are probably reasons for that.
I like you though..

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