Who has been an inspiration to you?

[stephen]

We all have Jesus as our Inspiration, but has there been anyone else that inspires you? Mother, Father, Brother, Sister, Friend, Pastor? Who?

[MrMike]

My former pastor, D. David Kessler. He's my age, and in fact we attended our senior year of high school together, although we ran in completely different circles. In the late 80's he was diagnosed with M.S. His illness has forced him to depend upon God daily for the strength to go about his life, and has caused him to mature spiritually well beyond his years. Even in the face of his illness, he continues to work 50+ hours per week. He is a true man of integrity, and possesses an uncommon passion for God's Word.

[kewlpack]

So many... God works and inspires me through countless souls.

Four stand out to me:

1) Mike Mouton - amazing servant heart; powerful preacher of the Gospel; joyful harvester of the lost. He initially inspired me to pursue Bible College and preaching/teaching. He went home in '98, two years after contracting terminal brain cancer at 36 years old. I have a grateful heart each time I think about this precious friend. Praise God for Mike.

2) My wife - without her... I could not have accomplished anything. She is my bulwark of faith, reservoir of strength, reminder of Christ's character, and my closest friend. She is a perfectly matched helpmeet - for whom I thank God constantly every day.

3) My daughter - she is the irrepressible joy and sunshine of my days. She is fantastic, quirky, challenging, fragile, beautiful, and forever endearing. When God blessed us with her I had no idea how much encouragement and spirit He had just filled my life with. I love being a daddy.

4) The lost - the reason He saved me was to lead others to His feet in the same way. To help save a single soul from hell is the greatest privilege and inspiration a servant could hope for.

Thank you Jesus. Please make me better than I am.

[Teleguy]

Certainly we've been blessed by several Pastors who The Lord used to bring us along.
Our present Pastor is an inspiration. Humble, loving, and brings revelation to his messages almost every Sunday. He is a fine example of what God can do when we seek Him, listen, and then learn to trust Him.
Their six sons are wonderful young men and youths.

I covet your prayers for Steve Stiles, Nancy, Josh, Joel, Johnny, Steven, Willie, and Shaun. May their harmony continue to withstand the enemie's wiles.

[TheViking]

.... The first and most important would be my granny. She passed away 3 years ago at the age of 90. He was a perfect combination of a pain in the butt and the sweetest ole lady around. She would be on my case all the time for all the lil unimportant things, but she would show love, respect and understanding for the real struggles of my life. She was a real warrior of prayer and I have her to thank for the fact that I did not loose my faith during my teens.

Secondly my moms uncle who was a pastor. He would find a way to point out God in almost anything. I never heard him say anything bad about anyone. He would always come up with new aspects of the scripture and teach them in an understandable manner.

A lot of people inspire me every day, and you guys might not realize it, but many of you do as well. I get so much from being a part pf this forum. So many interesting thoughts, so much love and so much support. Thanx guys.

[OrovilleTim]

I took to writing my testimony the other day (I plan on posting it here in the near future.) As I was putting it to paper, some people really stood out in my memory.

First, was my Great-Grandparents. Simple farm folks who moved from the Ozarks to CA, who in their late 60s and 70s had a young boy come into their home to raise. They were folks of mountainous faith. They demonstrated it in all aspects of their life. What inspires me though, was when it was time for my Great-Grandmother to pass (my Great-Grandfather passed befor her when I was still young), was how happy she was. She was like a kid going to Disneyland! To stand there at the point where your time on earth is ending, and to be excited because you know the Lord is waiting to take you into his arms, is simply awesome!

Other people that stood out where the folks that demonstrated true christian charity and compassion in my young life. A few years after my Great-Grandfather died, my mom had wrangled me away from my Great-Grandmother. My life was *very* chaotic, but no matter where I went, there was always a local church to see that my needs were met. Whether it were a box of food, a winter coat, or just a ride to Sunday School and Church. This compassion shown to me has inspired me to do the same for other at-risk kids.