[Faith-talk] Who has inspired you?

[Amy Ragain]

sorry it took so long to reply!
I think this is a wonderful idea! it helps us know/honor those who taught us what we know in our faith and learn about new christian leaders who might want to follow!
it is hard to narrow my list to only 10 but i will try! this list will not by any means be in order of most to least...it will simply be 10 people who inspire me.

1.  Sarah Ann Franks
we were phellow student leaders (Decipleship Leaders {DLs}) and she was also my roommate my last year of college.  she was always so joyful no matter what came her way!  she was always praising the Lord!  she was so happy in the Lord infact that a friend and I started calling her JoyJoy!  I loved her hunger for the things of God!  she is now a children's pastor in MN.

2.  Wane and Kristi Northup
she is an amazing worship leader and pastor! she taught a class called Women In Ministry that I took!
he is a youth evangelist!
they were the primary leaders of a mission trip that North Central University took every year to Marti Gras in New Orlienes LA.  they are now in the midst of planting a church in New Orlienes!

3.  Eric and lesley Ludy
singers/song writers, authors, and speakers.
they are 2 of the strongest christians I've ever met!  they want to get back to an acts style church! they believe in leaving everything and everyone if neccessary behind to give all your life for the lord's service!  and being spent for His Message!
they lead a ministry called The Set apart Life!
she has a passion for young girls and teaching them to live holy lives!
he has the same passion for you men!
if you know them I hope this discription does them justice!
I have been to Lesley's set Apart Girl's comforence and to Eric's Decipleship comforence. and my wodrs could never do them justice I don't believe! they are amazing! please go check out their websits and their books!
they also have a huge heart for orphans as well!

4.  NASCAR driver, Trevor Bayne
although I've never met him and he is much younger than I am.  I am so impressed by him!
he is the youngest person ever to win the Daytona 500! the bigest race in NASCAR!  prior to the race they were going to talk to him on the radio from his car but they had to wait because he was praying with his team! a practice he does before every race!
this young man is only 20 years old.  but he can give a talk about God like he's been a christian for a long time!  he has so much scripture memorized!  I can't even quote you 10 scriptures if you asked! I wish I were more like Trevor!
he attends and participates in the Motor Racing Outreach's (MRO) chaple services! a group that holds church services at every race track across the country for race teams and race attendees to worship God when they can't get to church...he is always valuntearing to read scriptures your lead the services.  and while he may not have a ministry degree witch showes in the way he speaks, he knows his Bible and can give a pretty good message in spite of this fact!!
he spent his off season last year in south america at an orphanage on a missions trip!
Trevor really knows how to give God the Glory in the highs and in the lows of life!  he give God the credit for his Daytona victory.  a few month later he was forced to set out a buncha races do to a bug bite that put him in the hospital for about a week...and now he hasn't finished a race higher than 20th place in the last 19 races!  however, through all of this he still finds a way to praise the Lord and give him glory for all He's done in his life!

5.  my parents
they raised me, my sister and my brother in church!  they have been married for almost 32 years!  my Dad is always praying and reading his Bible!  my Mom is always listening to christian programing on the radio in the car!  they did family devotions with us as kids!

6.  Kori Tenboone
I only wish I could hope to have her kind of faith in the face of such persucution!  I just don't know if I'd be able to stay as strong a christian as she!

7.  Gladis Elword
not sure of the spelling...also, not sure if this is her name...
she ran an orphanage in I believe India.  during a time of intense persucution of christians she lead something like 200 orphans over the mountains...I'm not too sure of all the facts on her but you can google her I'm sure...

8.  Michele Gettins
she was my roommate at Blind Incorperated.  she was the 1st Catholic I ever met who I knew for sure was a very strong christian believer!  I always tell people who don't believe Catholics are saved and are going to heaven, that if Michele isn't saved or a true christian, than there's absolutely no hope for me at all!

9.  Johnie Airricson Totta
sorry don't know how to spell her name!
I love how she has such a strong faith in God after all that she's been through as a quadropleagic!  she loves Jesus so much and has a comfidence that she was made this way for a perpus to service the Lord!  she also has such a comfidence that she will be able to run when she gets to heaven!

10.  Steve Smith
the author of those Morning Thoughts email devotions I forward to the list sometimes!
he was my 1st real mentor.  he used to drive me to and from youth group because my parents couldn't take me!  we both lived quite a distance from the church and would have long talks in the car on the way there...he taught me so much about life and God and church on those car rides!

many of the ppl on this list you can found online! I really incurage you to google or youtube them...sorry I couldn't include links for you here! I know it would have made it easier but then it would have taken me even longer to send this...lol