Women Who have Influenced my Life
I want to share with you some of the women who have been an influence in my life. I believe all of them could teach, encourage, instruct, mentor, praise, influence, guide, and inspire.
In previous blogs, I have talked about my mom and grandma and their influence in my life. My mom Lucylle Kneff taught us the importance of family and how you always think and speak the best of those who are your blood relatives. She also taught me a love for reading. I believe the gift of hospitality was instilled in me by my mom as she always had a pot of coffee and a homemade dessert available for the family who dropped by. We lived in a small town so people didn't call ahead like they do in larger cities but just showed up at our door. Most of the relatives didn't even knock - they just walked in. I guess that is why many of my family members have a key to my home so they can come right in!
My grandma Lillie Mae Wheeler is the one who taught me my strong work ethic. I believe my success in different jobs I have had through the years is because of her influence in my life regarding work. She would say doing a job didn't have anything to do with your feelings so we didn't tell my grandma, "I don't feel like it." That would never have gone over good with her!
Another lady who influenced my life was Betty Bruce. We meet each other in the late 60's when we both worked for General Electric NASA in Orlando, Florida. We eventually both moved to Dallas, Texas. Betty and her husband had two sons and they were about 8 years older than our daughters. Being a new parent I was able to learn so much from Betty in the area of parenting. Her boys were so well behaved and she was raising them to be responsible young men. Whenever I had questions about parenting I would call Betty and she would walk me through what I was to do. She loved my girls and I loved her boys and I am so grateful for the wonderful parenting skills she had that helped me as a new mother. She became a life long friend.
When I received the Lord in my life in 1970, I began to look for women to model what a Christian woman should look and act like. I was looking for women to give me guidance, tips, support, assistance, advice, and help.
The first woman God put in my life was a sweet southern retired school teacher named Wyleta Green. She had been a Christian most of her life and had a wonderful knowledge of God's word. When I received Christ into my life I had an insatiable hunger for the Word of God. Whenever I read something I didn't understand I would call Wyleta and in her slow southern drawl, she would begin to explain it to me. She invited my husband and me over to her home for dinner many times and I loved to watch her gracious southern hospitality at work in preparing a wonderful home-cooked meal and serving it with such ease and grace.
The second woman God placed in my life was Betty Flowers and her husband Ralph. They had a married couple's small group that met in their home. Our pastor encouraged my husband and me to attend this group and the Flowers mentored us and helped us grow in our new-found faith. It was so amazing to watch these couples interact with one another. I had never seen Christian couples in action. They were so kind and considerate of one another and never spoke sarcastic or mean words to one another. I believe watching Ralph and Betty and the other couples model Christian marriage before our eyes was a mentoring model for my husband and me.
The third woman who impacted my life spiritually was Marilyn Hickey, a well known Bible teacher. She had a wonderful gift of being able to teach God's word in a way that was easy to understand and apply to your life. I read all her books and listened to her on cassette tapes, videotapes, and evenly DVD's. She was a pioneer of faith in her own way because when she began to teach the Bible years ago it wasn't always accepted in many churches for a woman to be in a leadership or teaching position.
The fourth woman was Linda Turner who taught a Sunday School class I attended in the early '80s. I was amazed by not only her teaching gift but how much of the Word of God she knew and could speak forth. I know there were times I was probably sitting in her class with my mouth wide open in amazement. I wanted to know scriptures and the Word the way she did. She had been able to memorize God's word to the point that it just poured out of her. I said when I grew up spiritually I wanted to be like her!
The fifth woman who has impacted my life spiritually is Pastor Sharon Daugherty. She is another woman with so much love for God and His Word, and for people. I have seen her walk-in amazing love toward everyone, those of all economic levels, those of different ethnicity, and even those who have wronged her. She has an extra amount of God's grace that has seen her through many things. When her husband Pastor Billy Joe passed away almost four years ago she remained strong and steady for the church family. She is another woman who has put the word of God deep within her spirit and it has sustained her.
The sixth woman who has impacted my life is Joyce Meyer, another wonderful teacher of God's word. I can relate to so many of her stories and illustrations about her own life as I also have a type-A personality and border on workaholic tendencies. This year I am reading the "Everyday Life Bible" in the Amplified version. She has many footnotes and life points that she has added to give more in-depth meaning and daily application to the Word of God. I have also read most of her books and listened to many of her CD's. She has a way of speaking about everyday struggles and how to overcome them.
I know that God wants us to have mentors in our life and I consider all of the spiritual mentors in my life. Seven of these women I knew personally and the other two impacted my life even though I didn't know them personally. I am where I am today because of their godly example of being a woman of faith and the Word.
My grandma Lillie Mae Wheeler is the one who taught me my strong work ethic. I believe my success in different jobs I have had through the years is because of her influence in my life regarding work. She would say doing a job didn't have anything to do with your feelings so we didn't tell my grandma, "I don't feel like it." That would never have gone over good with her!
Another lady who influenced my life was Betty Bruce. We meet each other in the late 60's when we both worked for General Electric NASA in Orlando, Florida. We eventually both moved to Dallas, Texas. Betty and her husband had two sons and they were about 8 years older than our daughters. Being a new parent I was able to learn so much from Betty in the area of parenting. Her boys were so well behaved and she was raising them to be responsible young men. Whenever I had questions about parenting I would call Betty and she would walk me through what I was to do. She loved my girls and I loved her boys and I am so grateful for the wonderful parenting skills she had that helped me as a new mother. She became a life long friend.
When I received the Lord in my life in 1970, I began to look for women to model what a Christian woman should look and act like. I was looking for women to give me guidance, tips, support, assistance, advice, and help.
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The second woman God placed in my life was Betty Flowers and her husband Ralph. They had a married couple's small group that met in their home. Our pastor encouraged my husband and me to attend this group and the Flowers mentored us and helped us grow in our new-found faith. It was so amazing to watch these couples interact with one another. I had never seen Christian couples in action. They were so kind and considerate of one another and never spoke sarcastic or mean words to one another. I believe watching Ralph and Betty and the other couples model Christian marriage before our eyes was a mentoring model for my husband and me.
The third woman who impacted my life spiritually was Marilyn Hickey, a well known Bible teacher. She had a wonderful gift of being able to teach God's word in a way that was easy to understand and apply to your life. I read all her books and listened to her on cassette tapes, videotapes, and evenly DVD's. She was a pioneer of faith in her own way because when she began to teach the Bible years ago it wasn't always accepted in many churches for a woman to be in a leadership or teaching position.
The fourth woman was Linda Turner who taught a Sunday School class I attended in the early '80s. I was amazed by not only her teaching gift but how much of the Word of God she knew and could speak forth. I know there were times I was probably sitting in her class with my mouth wide open in amazement. I wanted to know scriptures and the Word the way she did. She had been able to memorize God's word to the point that it just poured out of her. I said when I grew up spiritually I wanted to be like her!
The fifth woman who has impacted my life spiritually is Pastor Sharon Daugherty. She is another woman with so much love for God and His Word, and for people. I have seen her walk-in amazing love toward everyone, those of all economic levels, those of different ethnicity, and even those who have wronged her. She has an extra amount of God's grace that has seen her through many things. When her husband Pastor Billy Joe passed away almost four years ago she remained strong and steady for the church family. She is another woman who has put the word of God deep within her spirit and it has sustained her.
The sixth woman who has impacted my life is Joyce Meyer, another wonderful teacher of God's word. I can relate to so many of her stories and illustrations about her own life as I also have a type-A personality and border on workaholic tendencies. This year I am reading the "Everyday Life Bible" in the Amplified version. She has many footnotes and life points that she has added to give more in-depth meaning and daily application to the Word of God. I have also read most of her books and listened to many of her CD's. She has a way of speaking about everyday struggles and how to overcome them.
I know that God wants us to have mentors in our life and I consider all of the spiritual mentors in my life. Seven of these women I knew personally and the other two impacted my life even though I didn't know them personally. I am where I am today because of their godly example of being a woman of faith and the Word.
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