1. God- God has been a part of my whole life. It is just now that I am realizing just how much I depend on and count on God. I need Him all the time. Without I Him, I am nothing. I have become very close to God as I have gotten older. I have learned a lot about who He is, who I am to Him, what He wants to be for me, who He wants me to be, etc. I have many things here on this Earth for which to be thankful. However, I don't deserve any of them. The only thing I am deserving of is death. That might sound harsh, cruel, or drastic, but it is the truth. It is the truth for all of us! I owe my entire being to God. I thank God for His gift that He has never withheld from me. Not even for a second. There is nothing I could say, nothing I could do that will ever amount what you have done for me.
2. My Dad- My dad has influenced me in a way I don't think he even knows. I was always encouraged to try things if I wanted to. He never pushed me or discouraged me from doing something that was appealing to me. I knew he always believed in me and loved me no matter what. With my dad, there isn't anything I could do that would keep him from loving me. He has taught me how to love others even when it is hard. He has shown me what it is like to have an encouraging, supportive parent, which in turn, has made me want to be that to my children. My dad has also helped me to good at biting my tongue. Even if I really want to say something, he has shown me through example when it is best to lay low and love anyway. I really appreciate this because I tend to steer more towards the foot and mouth disease. There are not enough words to express the gratitude I feel for my dad and the things he has taught and continues to teach me through example.
3. My Mom- My mom has been a big influence in my relationship with God. During my childhood years, into high school and college, my dad travelled with his job a lot! My mom was left to take charge of the homestead most of the time. She showed me how you can be strong and independent. She showed me that a relationship with God was important. My mom is who she is and that influenced me to be who I am. I am proud of me and never felt a need to be someone different...except for a couple of times in middle and high school. She influenced me to be strong willed and to demand a man of moral character and godly values. I thank God for my mom and for putting me in her arms on February 1, 1982. God certainly knew what He was doing when He picked this family for me.
4. My Siblings- My siblings, Kelly and Jeremy, have been influential in my life. They have taught me how to be protective of those I love, to laugh at myself, and to be confident in who I am. They accept me for me and have loved me and guided me through roads they had previously travelled. When they got married, I was young. Kelly is 12 years older and Jeremy is 10 years older. However, they continued to include me in their married lives and the lives of their kids. I love them so much and they have no idea how blessed I am to have two siblings that look after me and are always there for me. I only wish I was that for them as they are for me.
5. Curtis-Curtis has influenced me to love unconditionally. I am not good at...AT ALL! But he is so unconditional to me that it motivates me to keep trying every day. He is also devoted to me and has shown me what true devotion looks like. When someone lets go of a habit/addiction because he knows it will destroy him-spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically- which will completely destroy his wife, that is true love. Curtis has influenced me to try to be a better wife and mom. I am so blessed to be his wife and can't imagine my life without him.
6. My girls-Ava and Sally have influenced me to be someone I never thought I could be. Although I am not anywhere near who I want to be when Jesus calls me home, they encourage me to keep on trying. They have influenced me to take better care of myself. They have influenced me to closely knit to God. They have influenced me to be involved in church and with church friends. They have influenced me to protect very important relationships. They influence me to be a person who I never have dreamed was possible but don't want to give up striving for. They give me purpose, deep purpose and meaning in this scary, crowded world. I am forever grateful for these little gifts from God that I get to call my little girls. I cannot imagine my life without those precious, smiling eyes looking back at me and those contagious giggles that completely take my breath away.
7. My Providence Road CoC Lifegroup- These people walked with me through so many different roads my life took. They truly lived life with me. They were there every step of the way. I have never met a group of people that was like family, but really were not blood related. They influenced me to grow in my relationship with God, to believe in the power of prayer, and others need to have non family members love and live life with them. I could never thank them enough for the memories I have of them.
8. The Dean Family-The Dean's took my husband in when he was a youth ministry intern at their church over the summer in Jonesboro, Arkansas. I met them and fell in love! Immediately. They taught me so much about marriage and family. They taught me what it really looks like to love a spouse and to teach their children how to be love to others. They showed me what hospitality was and how to make a house a home. I am eternally grateful for the little life lessons that I learned from them and the impact they made in my life and my husband's.
9. The VanGurp Family-This family has been in my life since their college sophomore was 2. I have learned from them the importance of date night, the love of each other, that friends are extremely important, that it is very possible to be joyful at all times. They have shown strength as they trudged through the trenches of their little boy being diagnosed with leukemia. They have influenced me to have faith, even in the hard times. I love this family deeply and thank them for allowing me to be a part of their lives for all these years.
10. Laurie Thrasher Bradley-Laurie has no idea and she is so humble she would never accept this. But, Laurie has influenced me with her selflessness and amazing listening ear. She has such love for others that she is willing to sit silently and just listen, even if I dominate the entire conversation, which I tend to do. She is a humble servant of God with a beautiful smile and an overwhelmingly huge heart. I have never told her this, and I ought to. She deserves to know. I am so thankful that God placed me in that youthgroup so I could meet her. She has made such an impact on my life!
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