Monday, July 28, 2008

25 Most Influential Men - Part 2

This post will have to be relatively short, because I have to go to work shortly... Let's start where I left off.

Derek Miller ~ This is my second of five older brothers. Quite naturally he has had a great influence on me, as a brother in blood and as a brother in Christ. He was always partial to me, and we are very close.

Jason Miller ~ This is the oldest of my five brothers. His influence has been on many levels, including the way I take a test! He is probably the one I've had the least contact with, but still a lot compared to some relationships.

Matthew Miller ~ This is the youngest of my five older brothers. When I was little he was the one brother I wanted to be friends with, and I am still like that in many ways. His influence has been astoundingly great in ways I can't explain. I was always partial to him, despite our many differences, probably because of our closeness in age.

Nathan Miller ~ This is the third of my five brothers. We are alike in many subtle ways that most wouldn't notice. His influence has been more on that level than anything. He was gone most of my teenage years, in the military, so I haven't had as much contact with him as I would like. But his influence is still marked in my mind.

Rodney Miller ~ This is my father. His influence has been one of the greatest and most pronounced. He has always been a loving and gentle father. Sometimes a little annoying :) But always my Daddy.

Stephen Miller ~ This is my fourth brother of five. He is probably the brother that's personality is closest to mine. This being so, his influence was probably more so than some of the other brothers. We have always been pretty close.

Allen Patterson ~ This man I have known personally much of my life. I mostly saw him as the man who looked a lot like one of my brothers before I actually got to know him. His influence has also been of a more subtle kind that many fail to notice.

Paul the Apostle ~ This man in dead, and I do not know him personally. He was also known as Saul when he persecuted Christians. His influence has been that of his walk and ministry.

Donnie Plemons ~ This man I have known, all my life, as Brother Plemons. His influence has been through his Christian walk and ministry. He shows God's love in the most loving and hardworking ways. God has greatly blessed me through him.

Howard Russell ~ This man I have known for at least eight years, but have had personal contact with for six years, because of his music ministry. His funny yet insightful way of using his music ministry has been a great influence on the way I minister.

William Sillings ~ This man I have known of most of my life, but have been in personal contact with for four or more years. His influence has been in his Christian walk, his ministry, and the conversations we've had together. His wise insight has been a great help and witness to me.

Aaron Ward ~ This man is an adoptive brother. I have probably known him for four or five years, and his influence has been of a brotherly kind.

Richard Wurmbrand ~ This man I have never met, even though he died during my lifetime (2001). His influence was in his Christian walk and him ministry through Voice of the Martyrs, a ministry that I personally support as much as possible.


Well, there you go. One man that isn't on the list, but would have been the 26th is Amos Hann. A man who shows his faith in the most interesting ways. :) Those of you that know him understand best.

25 Most Influential Men

I was thinking that people might wonder about the list I did about the 25 most influential men in my life... So I'll start from the top; even though It may take several posts to finish.

First though, I will note that not all of the people in my list are living, nor do I know them all personally. Most I do know personally, and I believe that only one is dead. The list was heavily considered... So, here goes!

Andy Andrews ~ This man I do not know personally. He is actually a writer of historical fiction. I chose him for my list because of one of his books that greatly influenced my views on life. The book is in my top 100 books list "The Lost Choice." It talks much about how every decision that someone makes affects the course of not only their own life, but of others lives.

Frank Baldwin ~ This man I do know personally, and have known of him all my life. He was known to me as a great preacher, and his influence on me has been mostly because of His Christian walk. I have not seen him in many years, but my memories of him are special.

Randall Clark ~ This man is my godfather. I have known him for almost ten years (About half of my life). He was not a Christian when I first met him, but has been for most of the years I've known him. His great wisdom and quiet talks with me have greatly influenced me. He and I are alike in many ways, and he has taught me so much.

Douglas Crossman ~ This man I have known all my life, but do not see often. He is Welsh, and travels a lot because of his ministry (As well as his wife's ministry). He is the kind of person you always remember because of his funny personality. His influence on me has been most noted in his Christian walk and ministry.

Mark Horton ~ This man I know personally and have known him for at least six years. He gave me my most touching compliment, and his encouragement of my ministry has greatly influenced the way that I minister.

Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson ~ This man is not living, nor do I know him personally. His life has greatly influenced the way I live. He once said "Captain, my religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time for my death. I do not concern myself about that, but to be always ready, no matter when it may overtake me. That is the way all men should live, and then all would be equally brave"

Jesus the Christ ~ This Man, who is also God, I have known of all my life, but have truly known for eight or nine years. His influence is the greatest of any man, and it is given through His life, ministry, and others of His choosing. To try to explain would be pointless, because there are no words beautiful or wise enough.

Richard Kenny ~ This man I know personally, and have known all my life. His influence on me was noted during a time of personal suffering, when he gave me comfort. He knew my pain when others didn't, and because of his love I am influenced.

Kurt Killam ~ This man I have known for four or five years, even though I have had other brief contact with him, several times, over nine years. His influence was one of a peculiar kind... He was one of few who would talk with me about anything, and seemed to read my feelings. He gave me much comfort and laughter when I felt sad.

Steven Knaack ~ This "man" is actually a boy, and will always be a boy. He has Down Syndrome, and I care for him during the summer. He has given me much laughter and love in his influence. He is a great blessing to me.

Gerald Mershimer ~ This man I have known personally for four or more years. Even though I haven't been in much personal contact, his ministry and Christian walk have greatly affected my personal walk. His caring ways made me feel appreciated and wanted when I needed that badly.

Loy Mershimer ~ This man I have known personally for six or more years. I have corresponded with him often in those years, and his quiet ways of showing God's love in his ministry greatly influenced my own Walk.

That's all I have time for now. God bless!

~Branded with God's seal.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Do It With A Prayer

I just did another concert today... For those who don't know, I sing. It is a gift; not something I worked to get or bought from someone. Saying this I also say, most humbly, I sing pretty well. I boast of nothing I do not have in Christ, and this is true to the greatest extent.
I have to admit that I was not always humble about it. God had to show me that it was a gift, not something I won, in a way that humbled me greatly. I won't give any details, but suffice it to say I was greatly embarrassed at my big-headedness. God has shown me much since then, and though I can't say I showcase very well, He has shown Himself through me in the most amazing ways.

Something I've never told anyone about my singing is that I always pray and give my song to God before I sing. I do it several times, actually, depending on the amount of preparation I have. I just let God sing through me. I know this may sound very superficial and silly, but I've never felt like it was me singing after I started praying about it beforehand. Before I would struggle to show off, but now I leave it completely up to God what my performance will sound like. If I sound terrible, I can say it's His fault :)
After I started praying beforehand I noticed a difference in my singing that was probably unnoticed by others. If I forget to pray, it is noticed by others, whether they say so or not.

Tonight I prayed so hard. My music was out of place for the concert, because my style was very different... But I gave it to God, and He gave me His Spirit, just like I knew He would. The result? I believe Mom said, "They were transfixed as soon as you started."

All the glory and the honor belongs to my Father.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

When Your Choice Affects the World

I have recently been observing and thinking about the profound difference it makes in the life of a person when they except Christ. Most of my siblings have made this choice, which is a great blessing, and in one, particularly, I have noticed a great change.

One was my second brother. I was always attached to him because he was partial to me, but I didn't like how he would get upset over silly things; Like me leaving a towel on the bathroom floor, or taking my shoes off and not putting them away. Once I remember doing just that, and he got so mad at me. "Why can't you put your own stuff away? Do you think other people want to pick up after you?!"
Then one summer I noticed a drastic change in him. He was less likely to get angry with me for silly things, and when things turned out bad he took it with grace. I especially noticed it when I went with him to a house he was building. He dropped one of those guns that can be used to fill up cracks, with a white sort of glue in it. The glue sprayed all over the room, and I expected him to blow. I waited for it, and it never happened. Instead, he laughed! Not because he thought it was funny, but because he was disgusted. I knew then that my brother had changed. He reacted to things differently, and now I never feel nervous that I'll do something wrong when I'm around him.

If I was affected this much by one persons choice, how many others did my brothers choice affect? And if his choice makes such a difference in the lives of others, how many more are affected by others that have changed. It makes me wonder why there aren't more Christian's, if this is so....
There is something profound! This tells me that Christian's are messing up! If people can't tell the difference between a Christian and a non Christian they will never know what a Christian is. If they never know what a Christian is they can never make that choice. God says that we know a Christian by their fruit. In other-words, I'm not a Christian unless people can tell that I am different than the average Joe. So what does that tell you?

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Dancing In The Rain

Today my Grandma, who died last year, was on my mind. Particularly memories of the day before she died. There was a thunderstorm outside, and my sisters and I were running around. We were changing into dry clothes when Mom told us to start packing.
I remember how hard it was not to cry, trying to be strong for my sisters and Mother. The night she died I managed to hide my tears, and then didn't cry until after the funeral. My other Grandma hugged me, and I remember thinking, "I'll never hug Grandma Halligan like this again." That was when I broke.

It has always amazed me how people so often hide their tears. It seems a very unhealthy practice, and no matter how hard I try to let myself cry my mind won't allow it. I am the kind of person that cries easily, but prefer not to show it. My disposition is naturally cheerful, so I simply let that show more predominantly. I don't exactly hide my emotions; I just don't let them effect my mood.
The last time I cried was just this morning. I had just finished singing a song for camp, and I was so moved by the Holy Spirit I had to walk to the back of the chapel and let it out. Tears flowed, and I couldn't help it. Sister Mershimer saw me standing there, trying to compose myself to no avail, and just took me in her arms. How blessed I felt!
I'm not so sure there won't be tears in Heaven, because I will be weeping for joy. How can I not weep when I am so blessed?

Friday, July 4, 2008

Special Abilities Children

There are many terms used for people/children who are mentally unbalanced... Strait retarded, which is considered unkind; Special Needs, which could be seen as insensitive; Special, which I see as something someone says when they really think the person in question really isn't that special... Slow... "Not all there"... It seems endless. I prefer to call them Special Abilities children. I'm not saying that all of them are prodigies; but they have a way of communicating that I find different from anyone else. There is an innocence in it; a love; a thirst to prove themselves; a forcefulness that others, who don't have experience with them, might find frightening.

The boy I care for is a very "in your face" child. Despite his awkwardness he has a sense of fluency in the way he moves. And when he gets in my face, just to annoy me, I can feel the aura of affection and love in everything he does to drive me crazy. This ability is amazing to me. The pure genuine way he communicates is part of what I love about him. Sometimes I wish everyone I knew was so straightforward!

Words of Wisdom...

A famous apologist once wrote, "If you treat something like an animal long enough it will eventually become one." I use this theory when doing child care. This may seem odd to some, but I've observed that children learn what you expect of them, and then do exactly that and often nothing more. If you don't expect a child to respect and obey you, the child will often do just what you expect.



I take care of a Down boy, and he is very special to me... I do my best to treat him like I would any other child. I expect him to behave, help me with jobs around the house, to be kind, etc. He knows this, and as a result I have gotten a lot of joy in the job. We have made some advances too! He will eat anything I put in front of him, which is something he won't do for anybody else, including his parents. He tests me sometimes, to see if he can get away with disobedience, but being firm is something that I am very serious about.


What you expect of people says something about you... It's an interesting thought.
"This is the mark of a really admirable man: Steadfastness in the face of trouble." Ludwig van Beethoven
"It is a sad fate for a man to die too well known to everyone else and still unknown to himself." Francis Bacon
It is a mindless philosophy that assumes that one's private beliefs have nothing to do with public office. Does it make sense to entrust those who are immoral in private with the power to determine the nation's moral issues and, indeed, its destiny? .... The duplicitous soul of a leader can only make a nation more sophisticated in evil. ~ Ravi Zacharias