Drumroll please...

Recently in messaging back and forth with a certain gentleman who shall be named later on in this blog, I've described him as someone on my "I am who I am in ministry because of" list. Well, I made up that phrase on the spur of the moment, but it's kinda stuck with me for a few days. Just sitting there in the back of my mind on simmer, every once in a while making itself known, but always at the edge of my conscious thought. And then while randomly searching the net for blogs, I've come across a couple that actually had the same prodding from the Spirit and posted a list of such people. So I've decided to follow suit. But as I put more thought into it I've decided to change the phrase from "I am who I am in ministry because of" to "I am who I am as a man of God because of". It's a subtle change, but it really resonated with me. I know that I am called of God to minister in very specific ways, but I also know that my wife and child (and any future children) are swept into that calling as well. *I don't want to get into the "I'm called" and "my wife is called" and "we are called together" dynamic, but yes, I know it is a part of it too* But this is a list of people who have greatly shaped who I am in ministry, family life, and life in general. So here is my non-exhaustive list of "changers of destiny" for me, haha.

Now if you know me personally, you know I'm not one of those icky-sweet, spouting platitude, super spirituals and I do not like cliches, but in every cliche there is truth or else it wouldn't be a cliche ... so before I get to my earthly list I want to say Jesus has GREATLY shaped my ministry and relationship with my wife. I don't just mean the usual "Jesus saved me" type of influence. I mean how He ministered on earth. How He interacted with the religious circles and the "heathens" In the last 2 or 3 years it's radically altered my view of daily ministry. And He loves His church as His bride. Do I love my wife like Jesus loves me? I'll admit it's not easy, but I"m trying. So when I say Jesus has influenced who I am I mean that in a very practical way. Now on to the redeemed humans on this list. :D (and these are in order of appearance in my life, not necessarily ranking of influence)

My Dad
I know it's not a big surprise for someone to claim a parent greatly shaped them, but this is the truth. I grew up a PK (preacher's kid if you didn't know what that stood for, lol) My entire life my dad was a minister. That doesn't mean he was always a preacher in a pulpit. But life was ministry for him. I've seen him change and grow in my almost 30 years. I've seen him have highs and lows. I've seen him have huge successes and never get conceited. I've seen him have huge failures and not get bitter and blame others. I've seen him make mistakes, sometimes totally innocently and always apologize. But not just apologize with an "I'm sorry" but with an "I was wrong" also, which is one of the things I learned. I saw him balance ministry and family time without compromising his zeal for God or the importance it plays in his life. He was steadfast in being a godly man of integrity when attacked even when the natural response was to attack back. My dad modeled compassion, integrity, honesty, perseverance and love every day. I grew up seeing ministry on all sides and sometimes the things I saw in others left me jaded. But in the end I knew that God was real and what true ministry was because I saw my dad live it daily. For that I am truly thankful and hope that someday I can be even a fraction as good a dad and man of God as he is.

Bill Allison
When I really started thinking about why I have these men on this list, thinking of Bill was one of the reasons I changed the title of the list. I've only had the opportunity to sit under Bill's teachings a few times and while I have been greatly affected by them and cherish those times, I think his greatest influence in my life has been in the times we just chat and seeing him interact with his family. If you don't know, Bill has 6 amazing children. They are polite, well educated, their own individuals and love God immensely. And to see the relationship he has with his kids, the amazing team he and Stacy make, and his genuine endless enthusiasm for God is just a blessing. I pray to be in love with God, my wife and my kids as much as Bill. I pray that for a lot of people.

Matt Marquez
I met Matt when I worked at the Boys and Girls club in Springfield, MO. To be honest, if I hadn't had to work around him I don't know that I would have really met him. Matt is his own person. Trying to describe him is like trying to describe a color without having an example in front of you. He's a crazy, hispanic, beatnik, hippie with mad hops. :D and when I started there I was still the white boy from the cornfields of Illinois. Matt showed me how to love God and still be relevant in the lives of kids from rough backgrounds. We worked with kids from low income single parent homes, gang bangers, druggies, all kinds man, but Matt loved em all and wasn't afraid to let em know God loved em too. Matt helped me understand that you come to God as you are, which includes how you talk. When he prayed he often told God that He was a "groovy God" and it wasn't pretentious or contrived, but truly the type of connection Matt had with Him. With Matt, "groovy" was a HIGH compliment. Matt was a pristine example of being real. He doesn't put on a good face just cause he's a "christian". He doesn't underestimate God or cast his faith aside, but he isn't afraid to be honest about how things are going either. I learned that it's ok to be real with people and let them see you for you. He also has 3 very independant daughters and a strong wife. Everyday he modeled how to be a godly loving father and wife. Even though we now live about a thousand miles away, I often think of him as I move forward on this life's path. For that I will always be grateful. (I also refer to Jennifer as "my girl" because of Matt calling his wife "My girl" and she calling him "My boy")

That's my list. I very easily could have included their wives with them. The way Patty (my mom), Stacy (Bill's wife) and Suzi (Matt's wife) respond to their respective husbands is just as much an indication of who these men are. And with each one I see pure love and support both ways. But I chose to stick with one gender for now. I encourage anyone reading this to think about who helped mold you into who you are and who you are trying to be. I also encourage you to let them know if you haven't. I'm emailing each man the part of this post that pertain to him. If you've made it this far, thanks for reading and God bless.