So, what is a mushakian?
Well, to start with, it’s the Armenian surname that one of the co-author’s of this site, Mark Mushakian (moo-SHAY-key-uhn), was born into. There were four Armenian brothers who escaped the Turkish oppression and Armenian genocide in the early 1900’s, and these brothers found safe-haven on U.S. soil. There are several very similar variations to how this name is spelled in America today, such as Mushagian and Mooshegian, due to the randomness of writing out foreign names in English from that time, and they all happen to share a similar sound with an old Armenian city known as Mush. History lesson aside, a couple of generations after this Armenian emigration, in June of 1982 to be exact, Mark Mushakian popped out into the world, and now here he is writing an about-me page on his blog.
So, what is a Mark?
Armenia is considered by most to be the first nation to adopt Christianity as a state religion. While I don’t put any day-to-day stock into my half-heritage as an Armenian descendant, aside from explaining my last name (and my ability to grow a beard in 2 days), it does offer a nice segue into my own personal beliefs;
I am a Christian, and my life is defined by my faith.
I love spending time with others, reading through the Bible and discipling each other, but when I say that my faith defines me, I mean that I am an imperfect person saved from death by nothing but the grace and sacrifice of God. The only way that I can respond to such a gift is by sharing that truth and loving others, so I hope you find that to be true in your time browsing this site — and if it’s not, you let me know!
My wife and I have been married since September 2019, and I love life with her; she is my best friend, she challenges me to be a better man, and together we strive to make God the strength of our marriage. I also make her laugh a ton, so that helps, too.
Aside from that, are the more mundane details and facts:
- I was born and raise in sunny southern California, and wouldn’t mind living here for the rest of my life.
- I was actually born on the same day as Prince William.
- I can’t actually grow a beard in 2 days, but once participated in #noShaveNovember with some very beardy results.
- I made my first movie when I was 10, and kept at it into my 20s with my friends as a primary pastime activity. I don’t do that so much anymore.
- I enjoy relaxing with video games (Minecraft and open-world adventures are my favorite), board games (we’ve officially run out of shelf space… for now), by taking care of my succulents, and by woodwork (carving, especially).
- I love movies and creative writing — any form of storytelling, really.
- I inherited my grandpa’s tinkering gene, so I always have far more projects in mind than I could ever complete, but I do what I can.
So, what is a Sydney?
Details pending… she’s pretty mysterious!
So, what is a mushakian.com?
Our goal here is to either Entertain or Enlighten. If we can pull off both at once, bonus points for us! Whether it’s through the creative work of my web comic Out of the Box or Sydney’s crafty endeavors, or whether it’s a blog post discussing personal faith, a movie review, social commentary, one of Sydney’s monthly Top Lists, or telling a tale of a day-trip adventure, we hope to provide y’all with a reason to keep on visiting and reading!
Best way to encourage more of something ya like, is to let us know, so never be shy about reaching out in comments or direct messages!
Love,
M & S