Shlog Section-f

I just thought it would be nice to start a topic where we all talk about certain people we admire, such as people we consider our heroes or role models.  If you’re like me, there’s probably a really long list of people you admire.  But here, just list the top few, and maybe a quick note about why you chose them.
I’ll start:

#1.  The LORD, Jesus Christ*, Cuz He is a wonderful Teacher, Savior, Friend, Brother, Father, etc., and cuz He’s incredible and marvelous and very strong and loving and faithful and real and so on and so forth.

#2.  My youth leader “Cricket,” cuz she’s a really cool teacher, friend, and honorable person, and she’s a great singer and songwriter, and I basically want to be just like her when I grow up.

#3.  Shaun Groves** cuz he’s like, my hero in music.  I have learned a good bit from him, including some things that have made a big impact on my life.  His blogs are cool; I like the fact that he’s on the computer a lot.  He’s also the first “famous” person I ever met.


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*Jesus Christ can be mentioned by everyone, without limit, if they really mean it.

**No, I’m not saying I admire Shaun just cuz this is his website.  I actually mean it.

I have a few people who have had a big impact on my life. 

As a Christian, Christ has obviously had the biggest impact on my life.

I admire my parents.  They are both in heaven now, and were not perfect parents as none are, but they were great.  They gave me the greatest legacy ever, the legacy of faith.  We could talk about anything and we did.  They were always honest with me and I have wonderful memories as a result of the life they gave and shared with me. 

I admire my husband because he is such a hard worker and a good provider for our family. 

I admire my children because they are all unique and gifts from God.

I admire Nancy Tyler.  Though I’ve never met her in person, I know that she’s always there for me.  She inspires me, encourages me, edifies me, and loves me unconditionally.

I have more, but I’ll same some for later.

Beth

On my myspace page I say I have no heroes.  But here are some people I admire.

1) Jesus.  I love Him so much.  He’s amazing to me.  I wish I could be more like Him, but I also drag my feet at it, because I’m selfish and being like Him is hard.  I am grateful to Him for loving me. 

2) Nancy Tyler.  Beth reminded me.  I love Nancy.  I think she’s amazing and the way she shares her life with us on these boards and how she always finds a way to keep arguments at bay and considers everyone’s feelings is pretty cool. I know that Nancy also loves my number 1 person, as it is evident in what she does.  I did get to meet her in person once and she’s good fun.

3) Andrew Peterson.  Because, I just wish I could write like him.  He writes amazing lyrics with melodies that burrow into my heart and mind and stay forever.  I wish I could express myself and have a gift like that.  I can’t wait to read his children’s fantasy novels, either.

4) Ravi Zacharias.  He’s so incredibly smart and maintains such a gentleness about him.  I love all of his books and teachings.

5) My pastor and his wife.  They have overcome some pretty big hardships, left their home country to come start a kind of church they believe in (cell church) and honestly seek to love God and honor Him with their lives.  I’ve learned so much from their gentle and giving attitudes and spirit. 

Oh and the list goes on....

My parents.  After seeing them spend so much time, money, and efforts on trying to gain custody of my cousin’s two children, I saw what love really is.  I saw what family means to my parents.  And then when they had two foster children for nine months… some people might say they went above and beyond for those children.  They showered them with Christmas gifts, made an effort to help them with their homework, spent time with them, made them a part of the family for that amount of time.

I look at my parents and I’m inspired.  I want kids of my own, but I’d also like to adopt.  I wrote my thesis, a screenplay, about a family and their struggles, and it talks about how important family is.

Who or whom do I admire is the question. 

I admire my Lord my Savior.  He loved me before I even knew of Him.  He saved me from the death I truly deserve.

Also, I admire my parents.  I did not know unto recently the great sacrifices my parents made for me and my siblings.  My parents did not eat for days and worked two jobs at a time when I was a child to insure that I and my siblings would have something on our plates to eat and have a roof over our heads. 

In addition, I admire my friend Curt.  He grew up in a very rough home.  Even though he could have went right from school to college with a scholarship instead he enlisted into the Marines.  He worked himself from a private to a Major and a US Emissary before retiring.  He became a Godly man and father who deeply loves his family. 

Even though I admire Shaun and all he does I would like to write about why I admire Ginny Owens.  Ginny has sent a majority of her life having society telling her what she could not do.  After she graduated from Belmont College, Ginny went interviewing for a teaching job.  No one was willing to give her a job because she lost her sight when she was two.  Instead God provided Ginny an opportunity to record an album and she succeeded even beyond her wildest dreams.  After eight albums, countless Dove nominations and three Dove awards, Ginny is now starting a new phase in her career as an indie musician.  On top of that, Ginny started the Fingerprint Initiative a non proffit organization.  This has allowed Ginny to build homes with Habitat for Humanity to raising support for Compassion International. 

Lastly I would like to mention that I admire Nancy.  Nancy does not promote herself instead she promotes and encourages others.  She asks and continues to pray for us all.  She is a Godly woman who has tirelessly labored for God. 

Thomas

I’d like to join the Nancy Tyler club.  She seems to be a fun example of what it means to not be selfish.  She inspires me. 

I’m humbled and grateful reading this thread.  Thank you. Glory to God for what He does! 

There are three individual and one group that I think of off the top of my head when I think of the people I admire most…

I admire my husband Mike, who accepted Christ when he was 19 and went full speed ahead from that moment teaching about and serving Him. Mike only had 10 years of life after that moment, but man, did he ever make the most of it, teaching and inspiring church kids and violent gang kids and most adults he met, from people in suits to KKK members.  His last five years were full of physical suffering but he was very brave, and made the most of his energy and was generous in sharing what God was teaching him through the pain leading up to his death.

Richard is another incredibly brave person.  He’s been my friend for about 8 years.  He spent his first few decades in the homosexual lifestyle, after a childhood of abuse and problems with his parents.  But he really wanted to follow Christ and wanted to be part of the “straight” world.  So he prayerfully worked through his past in therapy and for the last couple decades, has enjoyed a great life with his wife and their three kids.  Richard helps people like him who are looking to “come out straight.” And that has to be one of the most challenging ministries and life investments I’ve ever seen.

I met Ken about 9 years ago.  He leads a group in my church for men who are struggling with sexual addiction.  Ken is in his 60s and spent many, many years addicted to porn and was full of anger and cruelty toward his family. His wife is pretty amazing too--she stuck with him! Ken chose to get out of the addiction and through lots of prayer and counseling and hard work, he got free of the addiction and helps others and their families do that now.  I got to know Ken when he was working through the last of his anger and to know him now is to know a different person.  He has such a sweet gratitiude toward God for changing him.  I love watching Ken’s face when he talks about Christ--when I look at that face now, I see peace.

Now, the group… Some of them have come back from their own backgounds of abuse and addiction and regret.  They’ve come through divorce, battle daily with physical pain, face family relationship challenges, struggle with doubts, depression and loneliness and with some things they can’t even talk about. And still, they go on, doing and being more for Christ and His people than I think they realize.  That group I’m talking about is here, on this board.  And on Ginny’s and Rocketown’s message boards.  And from Chris Rice’s former message board.  Yep.  YOU are on my list of people I most admire.

n

I admire two very different trinities. One being the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That’s a given.

The other ... Isaac, Taylor, and Zac Hanson. Their music has changed my life in ways I can’t describe. I have been a fan of theirs for 10 wonderful years and I know they will be making music for many more years to come! As far as bands go, they are my ultimate musical inspiration.

~Jessica

I could write for some time about the people I admire. For the sake of space and the time that it would take you to read it all I will simplify as much as possible.

First, I admire God for sending His only son to die for me.

Second, I admire Morgan Reynolds and her amazing family. Many of you have heard me speak of Morgan, but for those of you who don’t know of her, Morgan was a precious little girl that suffered from Mitochondrial disease. For the two years, seven months and four days that she was here Morgan suffered from countless seizures, very limited sight and digestive problems among other things. Through it all Morgan blessed this world with a fighting spirit and a beautiful smile.

I Came across Morgan’s website when she was 15 months old. In the beginning I saw Morgan’s situation as a mission field, and I set out to offer encouragement to her family in every way possible.  It did not take long for me to realize that I was wrong. God’s main purpose for my crossing paths with Morgan was not so much for me to love her, and encourage her family, but so I could learn from them.  The courage, grace and strength that this family shows are something from which I have gained a great deal. 

Third, I admire the people in this world that endure so much yet sill preserver despite what the naysayers and the mocking world around them have to say. People like Ginny Owens and Joni Erickson Tada, just to name two.

Fourth, I admire Nancy Tyler. If I had to sum Nancy up in one word it would be difficult, but I would have to say, available. It seems that in the most difficult of times Nancy is always available; ready and willing to offer a word of advice, encouragement and correction when necessary. Even with her busy schedule Nancy has consistently invested her time in the lives of other people. Through her sense of humor, her words of wisdom, her time with the message boards and true story radio lives have, no doubt, been impacted, and by the grace of God, changed for eternity.
I am Not only grateful for the time that Nancy has invested in my life, but I would consider my life a success to be like her, if only in part.

Most Sincerely,

Smiley

PS. Here is a picture of Morgan. You can visit her website at http://www.miracleformorgan.org