Life of Significance Part 1
The people who most helped me to become the person that I am are my grandparents. My paternal grandparents took me in at birth and raised me until I was ten years old. I have come to realize that my confidence and security comes from the loving environment in which they raised me and the sense of value that they instilled in me. My maternal grandparents raised me from age ten to sixteen. It was in their home that I learned the value of hard work, integrity, and how to have fun. I love to laugh, and I know that comes from the joy that filled their home.
Both sets of grandparents were very peaceful people who demonstrated their love for one another throughout marriages that lasted more than fifty years. Their lives taught me the importance of stability and provided a model for marriage that has been invaluable. Most of all, their unselfishness in raising me, after raising nine and twelve children of their own respectively, has taught me how powerful it can be when we pour into the lives of others.
I recognize that I stand on the shoulders of many others, but my grandparents serve as what I call the architects on which God began the building process for my life. They are truly the foundation for my desire to impact the lives of others and to be a person of significance.
Who are some of the people who have helped you most to become the person that you are? Who has encouraged or inspired you to do your best? How have they helped you?
Let’s talk about it.
Dr. D’
Hi Dr D, the two most influential persons in my life would be my mom and my aunt Carolyn both have gone to be with the Lord. My mom was one to give advice, she was not demanding telling me to do this or that, however I knew and understood what was required of me.She advised me to view situations or circumstances from a different perspective, looking beyond what you see and having compassion for others.. she taught me the significance of family, love & perseverance as hard as it may be at times, this I value..My aunt was a strong believer in Christ that taught me things concerning the word of God….what she taght she walked..Every life experience I shared with her she had a word, the word of God that is to relate.I miss them dearly, but I am so grateful to God for the standard they set for me
Robin, your mom and your Aunt Carolyn sound like powerful influences in your life. Thank you for sharing. It helps those of us who are mothers and aunts to think about the impact we can have in the lives of our children and relatives.
I enjoyed your reflection of your mother and your aunt. It makes me think back on my role as an aunt and the times that I have poured into my nieces and nephews. I can only hope and pray that something that I have said or done has made a positive impact on their lives as your aunt Carolyn has made on yours. Peace and Blessing.
Hello, Dr. D
As I ponder about those who God used to build my foundation, I would have to say my parents. My Mama was a bold, honest, God-fearing, FUNNY lady. She spoke her mind and wasn’t ashamed to allow the Word of God to correct her in public. She believed in loving yourself, your family and always finding the funny in a situation. What a lady.
My Daddy is the ying to her yang. He’s quiet (until he knows you), thoughtful, civilly minded and a strong proponent of education, hard work and reading the Bible. Ol’ Buddy, his name for himself, taught his girls and is teaching his grandchildren, “Say what you mean and mean what you say.” Now, that is integrity. He also loves family and a good laugh.
They began the building of the vessel that is Joy.
Beautiful story. Thanks for sharing.
I’m getting weepy!
I’m here because of the shoulders of my mom, Naomi Hudson Moore. She taught me about Jesus, love and self-respect. She instilled good work ethics and the importance of family in my five sisters and me.
My mom opened the door for women by being the first female forklift driver for a CPG company and now I get to hold that door open for women and minorities at a CPG company.
While I stood on my mom’s shoulders, other family members, church members and friends held up her arms. I’m talking about the village.
I’m grateful for my mom and the village. That’s a debt that I’ll never be able to repay in full but I’m making payments by being part of the village for others. I love you, mom!
Good morning Dr. D’Ann,
When I think of significant people in my life, I think of women like my grandmother who brought me to faith in Jesus Christ. I grew up in her home during my early childhood years and watched her serve God through serving others in the church and our community. She was a strong woman who loved the Lord with all her heart, mind and strength. My mother is also one who has shaped me into the woman I am today. She was a widow at the age of 21 with 4 girls, me and 3 younger sisters. She overcame many personal struggles, physical challenges, and illnesses while completing her education, building a career as a nurse and creating a better life for herself and her daughters. She is my constant role model. I think of two of my Sunday School teachers, Mrs. Dorothy Bradford and Mrs. Jeweline Harris, who mentored me in my youth and gave me my first opportunities to lead in our church. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to think about the significant impact these women have made in my life. I truly stand on their shoulders…
Hello Dr. D,
I lived with both my parents and twelve siblings. I was the youngest girl of the bunch, and still to this day, my dad refers to me as his baby girl. At the age of fourteen and whenever my parents would bring me, I would attend church on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. Because my parents would no longer drop me (and some of my siblings) off at church, I stopped attending church at the age of sixteen.
To be completely honest, I feel as though I practically begin to raise myself starting at the age of fourteen (everyone was busy with their own lives.. I guess). I had no genuine female role models, and no one ever took me under their wing to help shape or mold my life during my teenage age years (not even anyone at the church). But God!
At the age of nineteen, I married my high school sweetheart. My husband served 10 years in the military, so the kids and I traveled with him wherever he was stationed (never finding a church home). I became a supportive wife and loving mother, merely because I knew what I desired to see my parents model before me, and I knew the relationship that I yearned to have with my mother.
In 2011, we walked into New Covenant Christian Ministries and it was very welcoming. Dr. D, I don’t know if you’re aware, but every single time that I heard you preach, you inspired me to want to do great things for God; however, I didn’t know how to begin the journey of becoming more than a wife and mother, for I struggled with that issue for what seemed to be a long time.
Two years later, I met Dr. Leah in the School of Ministry at NCCM, and by the grace of God, she helped me to discover my passion and the purpose for my life (I enrolled in Luther Rice College a year later). As well, I attended lots of Small Groups at the church. The meetings were very real, fun, and life-changing for me. As you know, you allowed me to facilitate a Small Group in your absence. I remember being so frightened, but because you are a faithful woman of God, you trusted him and encouraged me to step out on faith. Now, I’m a facilitator for Small Groups, and I enjoy every single minute of it.
Therefore, I’d have to say that Dr. D and Dr. Leah are two godly women who encouraged and inspired me to live a life of significance. I’m grateful for my church family, and I bless God for the both of you.
Kayon Bieniemy
My mom was one of the strongest people I know. While she is no longer here, in my heart and mind I can still remember her strength and boldness. She always stood by my side and supported me even in her last days on earth. She always spoke up for me and herself. While I am a more quiet person, I wish at times I could speak up the way she did. She was and still significant to me. I now have a great friend Ann who plays a significant part in my life. She is a strong , praying h women whose been there fire me through thick and thin. She prays for me and is aloof encouraging. I have no sisters or living aunts grandmas, etc so god continues to people in my life that have purpose and meaning. Thank you god for those angels
I am honored to say that the greatest influence in my life was my mother. She was a single mother of nine children. In the patriarchal society in which I grew, she fought for the right to take care of her children from our fathers. I’m so grateful that she did because my half siblings did not turn out as well as my siblings. Two great things that I am also grateful were her unshakable faith in God and her life of prayer. In the midst of life challenges and tribulations, my mother never wavered in her faith. The word of God was her constant companion and mainstay. What she could not provide for materially, she sowed in prayers. I am awed at how the seed of the many years of prayers have budded and are bearing fruit. Because of the sacrifices, trust in God, and prayers of this great women, I can declare that “Truly the lines have fallen unto me in pleasant places, behold I have a good heritage”.
Thank you for allowing us the privilege of sharing. I pray that I am also a great influencer to other people.
I grew up in the south in Memphis, TN where I was raised, along with 6 brothers and 2 sisters, by my parents, Booker T. Porter, Sr., and Janie B. Porter. So funny, because they called each other just that, “Booker T” and “Janie B.” So I would have to say that these two were the greatest influencers of my life. I watched them go through many tough times, and as I evolved into womanhood, I realized just how strong they both were. My “Daddy” worked in masonry since he was a young boy, and made a living and provided for his family from the beautiful work that he did for others. My “Mama” was mostly a stay-at-home mother, though I do recall her working for brief intervals. They made us feel rich, even though we were poor. When I left home in 1992 to join the military it was my father’s (who was a WWII veteran himself) blessing that gave me the motivation to never give up. My mother, through her selfless life, taught me what it means to be faithful, strong, and giving. My father passed to eternity in 1994, and my dear mother in 2016. They are forever etched into every fiber of my being.
With love…
The shoulders that I stand on today are those of my mother, Magnolia Everett. My mother imparted the Word of God, wisdom, and hard work into me and my three siblings. Mama taught and showed us through demonstration of what it was to be Christlike and how to be a good steward of the things God has and had given us. My love for Christ and the path that I walk today is because of the type of woman my mother was. I saw Christ all in and through my mama, and that is one of the MAIN reasons when I vowed to take up the Cross and follow Jesus, I knew I could not be lukewarm, and I had to keep His commandments. Mama was strong, she worked hard, and she served faithfully. If I can be half of what she was to us as a mother, then I know I am doing good by my own daughter. I had an EXCELLENT mother, and I thank God that we were close and I live with no regrets. She crafted me by way of Jesus Christ into what I am today. She instilled so much in all of us, and she was the fist that held everyone together. I say that with tears streaming because not a day goes by that I still don’t think of my mother. Thank you for allowing me to be able to type and express how and what she meant to me because I honestly do stand tall and proud on the shoulders of Magnolia Everett.
Thank you for the encouragement!
Thank you for the offer. Please send me information on your blog. I would love to see what you are doing.
The two people who have inspired me are my sweet, loving God-fearing parents. We were raised in the church and I saw what loving and serving the Lord along with what a Godly marriage looked like. I remember being a child playing outside with my friends on Saturday and my dad calling out to me. I knew that meant we were going to visit the sick and shut in. It was so boring to me! However, I knew it would end with a trip to a hamburger joint! I know God used these outings to show and give me a compassionate spirit.
My parents had always been servants of the Lord. They served in church, family and the community. My older siblings remembered them housing other family members and friends throughout the years. They stretched their one fish and two loaves of bread.
After raising seven children, to our surprise–when I left home–they began foster parenting. We couldn’t believe it then! I later came to realize that we had always shared our parents because it was God’s plan for their lives. They were loving, kind and giving. They were also strict as parents. Their last foster daughter, Denise has down syndrome and when she was 11 she came into our lives.
My parents decided to move back south after numerous visits and drives from Ohio to Georgia between 1991 and 1993. My maternal grandmother living in Alabama was in her 90’s and I had my second child in 1993. My mom told my dad they needed to move South because they were getting older and needed to be closer to me and my sister if they needed us. They moved here along with Denise, who they later adopted.
In 1998 and 1999 my sister and I both suffered major health issues and my dad said that is when he realized that the Lord sent them to Georgia to help his girls.
My mom was diagnosed with Congestive heart failure and went to be with Lord July 2016, three months before what would have been their 70 wedding anniversary! My dad died unexpectedly for us, nine months later from heart issues better known as a broken heart in April 2017. Although we missed them dearly, we all find comfort in knowing that they are with the Lord and together again.
Shirley, your parents sound like amazing people who have left their mark in the earth through their love for God, their family, and the community. Continue to celebrate this great legacy that you have been afforded. It is a rare and precious gift. Blessings to you!