There are many people whose love, courage, faith, business acumen, kindness and generosity I find exemplary and worthy of recognition in this writing. I wish I could say something about each one. The people I have chosen to acknowledge today are the ones who have impacted and influenced my life in incredibly powerful ways. And, most of them don’t know. That’s what I love about podcasts, YouTube, etc. The virtual world offers each of us the opportunity to change in the areas we seek to grow.

Photo by ANDRIK ↟ LANGFIELD ↟ PETRIDES on Unsplash

I can’t tell you everything about these people, but I will share who they are, their impact on my life and why I chose them as a mentor.

My Sweet Grandmama

Bessie Smith passed in April 1984. She was born in 1896, married an entrepreneur, had ten children (lost 2), and only drove a car once in her lifetime. Most in our family called her Big Mama, but in my heart, I couldn’t bring myself to call her by that name. For me, she was Grandmama. And friends, that is who she still is to me today. She is GRAND.

I had the real pleasure to spend many weeks with her while growing up on the farm with all the chickens, cows and cats in the summers. It was exciting to arrive when her cows had given birth. She loved me so much she usually named at least one of them after me.  Let’s not talk about what happened to those cows after that big truck came to take them away.

On hot summer days just before sunset, my grandmama and I sat in the old metal rockers on the front screen porch talking, laughing and loving. In all the time I knew her, I did not hear one critical or mean-spirited word come out of my grandmama’s mouth. Every morning that I slept with her, the first thing I’d hear after she sat on the side of the bed was, “Lord have mercy.” I didn’t even know what that word meant, but if my grandmama said it, it was gold.

My grandmama exemplified respect for all people no matter who they were, where they were from or what they had done. She modeled kindness neighborly love. My Grandmama was my safe person whom I shared secrets when sitting in her lap while she tried to listen to Walter Cronkite. I am blessed every day with the love I received from my grandmama.

Beth Moore

Many of You may know of Beth Moore. She became a virtual mentor of mine in 2007. In 2011, I decided I better broaden my mentoring options. At nearly every function I attended women told me I looked and talked just like her. Beth had a tremendous influence on me through her Believing God study. It helped me see myself through the eyes of God.  I don’t know how you feel about Beth, but I know what investing my time in her study did for me. There are 5 Biblical truths I gained through Believing God.  I’ve shared them below. I encourage you to bury them inside your heart and share them with a friend!

Andy Stanley

Andy Stanley is the pastor of North Point Community Church. The first time I heard him speak in 2001, I was seeking something more for my life. While I didn’t hang around to get what he had to offer, I came full circle in September of 2006 and became an avid listener of his messages and his leadership podcast, Your Move. Andy is one of the most talented communicators I’ve heard. While I’m not a man, I want to create change through my communication style, something Andy does with excellence. Andy’s courage to step out in faith and start a church that wasn’t like his dads’ is a powerful encouragement to those who hear a call from God. I’ve been blessed to hear most of the messages Andy has shared more than once. I’m grateful for his heart for the church and his message that we are the hands and feet of Jesus. I’ve gained incredible strength and wisdom through his practical teaching. I hope that I will one day one day communicate in the same life-changing way.

Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend

Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend have written numerous books that can help anyone who with patterns of getting into relationships with people who don’t respect them, their time or their values. Also, they have a book that helps guide you to have difficult conversations. They write from a practical viewpoint, offering numerous examples so you can implement their principles into your everyday life. Two resources that were powerhouses in my life are Boundaries and Safe People. The lessons from these books were life changing for me, so much so that I have a Boundaries Workshop I offer to women to help them break free from the patterns that lead them to unhealthy relationships.

Michael Hyatt

Michael Hyatt is my virtual mentor that keeps me on my toes. In fact, I can’t keep up with all he has to share. As an author and with other books in the pipeline, Michael offers a plethora of resources to help folks like me get products into the hands of those who we create them to influence. Michael was previously the CEO of Thomas Nelson, so he has an excellent background in publishing and product development. Not only does he share his marketing models, but he also highlights many others with the intent of helping them succeed.

I wrap this writing up by sharing that the greatest mentor I have is Jesus Christ. He is the model for the way, the truth, and the life. Without Him guiding my every step, it’s possible that the mentors I’ve had might not have shown up like they did, just when I needed them.

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