influence

I am not sure this is the appropriate place to put this, but here goes.

Part of my bible study homework was to create an "Influence Collage".
There are definitely lots of faces missing from those who have positively influenced me, but I ran out of time to look for pictures - if you are one of the missing faces - please know you are not forgotten nor taken for grated :-)


This bible study encourages journaling.

about Influence
excepts from my "journal" (blog)
(again only limited excepts - I have limited time set aside for this exercise - this way for me to reflect on friends, family, neighbors, and influence any way - It was a good exercise)
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during my dark times and struggle times, God placed people in my life to point me to God, to encourage me, to show His faithfulness and His active work in my life (right in “that” moment, or in the past). They did it by just being there, not by any perceived intention to “bring me back to God” or “correct my thinking”. ...
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My family is of greatest value to me and I feel that sometimes I let the necessary functions of life get in the way of the loving relational important things in my life.
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I think of my longest and bestest friend. ... God has truly blessed me with you. You said it the other day… how wonderful it is to have someone to share with that loves and honors God and is in that eternal journey with you. What is even better for me is that you knew me then, and although we have been apart from each other physically for most of our lives now, we have stayed close and in touch through the whole of our lives. ... Because no matter the time or distance, we pick up, catch up, and find a place of home with each other. ... I am talking about the love and support of a friend who is also my sister in Christ and who shares by a kind of kinship the same desires of the heart.
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My best friend's mom. My other Mom. She was so very important in my life. I understand the nature of my Loving Heavenly Father better because of her. Not because of some lesson, but because of how she loved and lived in the little moments. I aspire to be a Mrs. Park. To be the loving accepting love of Christ present in the lives of others. She was that to me.she leaves behind such a legacy, like ever widening ripples, her life affected so many in such a positive loving way. I am part of that legacy. Mostly I am just grateful that she loved me so much and so well. She was the grace, acceptance, and love of God made real to me. Her love did not dwindle with time.Just so you all might know... how important those eternal choices we make in the little moments. Her life was full of them. And though she no longer with us in the physical, she leaves her legacy of love and Godliness behind her.
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Thank you LORD GOD... for my husband who loves me so well, who listens, laughs, guides me, and respects me, and who encourages me to be strong and independent yet still be the me that I am who needs and loves connection with people.
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AND ON GRATITUE
(more excerpts from my "journal")

GRATITUDE
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I must say that hang out time with my family is one of my most treasured “possessions”, probably because in our busy world it is so rare.
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I am grateful for my family and my church familystill grateful for the Central Air Conditioning at home and at work.Happy in my home and with my life and grateful that I have a job to go to, grateful to contribute to the financial well being of my household
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truly grateful to God, to my husband. They are both showing me what real love is and how that marriage at its best is like the relationship between God and His Church.
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my heart well up with gratitude. I REALLY REALLY REALLY like my kids. I like who they are. I would want to be their friends even if they were not my kids. I like so many things about them individually. I am very grateful to have two wonderful adult children. Oh that God would grant them daily great Godly wisdom and discernment, and an ever growing knowledge of His love. That He would reveal to them each the paths set before each of them, and grant to each of them the wise discernment to choose well and the peace and courage to walk those paths, well choosen or not. I love my kids. I am proud of them. What can I say...? I am their Mama. This love will never fail, even if at times, my own mixed up emotions don't communicate that love well enough.
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parents who have and are learning to love with an eternal love. Who go and do… and are willing to let us make mistakes, and better yet make mistakes themselves and press forward toward the goal yet again. I love the bond of this love. I am especially delighted by the bond of unity we now share in Christ. It is a beautiful thing. One of the things I stop and take notice of this morning, with delight and gratitude.