Who has influenced you?

[Saruman]

I thought about it today, as I was going about my normal routine, just about the various historical figureheads in history who have, by their examples, been an influence and an inspiration. Then the thought occurred to me to ask my friends here on the DL: who has influenced you in your own life? Was it some great philosopher, such as Socrates or Aristotle? Perhaps a great musician, such as Bach? Or someone great and wonderful all around, like Jesus?

I'm interested to hear your thoughts. It doesn't have to be some historical person either, but it could even be someone you know in your own life, a parent or sibling or a friend. Who has influenced and inspired you, and why? I will post my own thoughts later, if this thread picks up some momentum.

[SlpNarniaQueen]

who has influenced me...thats hard. I don't really know...I've been influenced by Gene Kelly and all of his talents along with Fred Astaire, but also by song writers and lots of other musical people. I'll have to get back to you with a better awnser...

[fish_wwjd_frog]

First and foremost, Jesus. He made me who I am today.

After Him, I'd have to say my family. Neither my dad nor my only sibling/brother has a relationship with Christ, and my mom usually won't speak up for fear of offending my dad. But oddly, their lack of faith has strengthened mine. And I don't even know how to explain that. I suppose when I'm feel different from them, (up until recently) I didn't have a present-day human role-model to look up to, so I turned to Jesus. Soon He became what gets me through the tough times with my family.

And about a year and a half ago, I got invovled with another Youth Group in a church that wasn't my own. There is a family there that has taught me just what it means to live a Christian life. They taught me that a family can get along and love eachother; that that's not just something that happens in the movies. I had known that I didn't like what modern society teaches about romantic relationships and things along those lines, but I didn't think there was another way. This family taught me the true meaning of human love, and just what it means to "wait" for someone with not only your body, but also your heart and mind too. This family has been such a blessing in my life, and I am frightened to think where I, now speaking as a 17-year-old girl, would be. I hate to even think what standards I would've compromised simply because I didn't think that there was another way.

Beyond that, Esther of the Bible influenced me. She stood up for herself and her people before her husband, a king, in a time when a woman's thoughts weren't considered to be anything important. But she didn't get angry at her husband, she just was calm and respectful. That has always amazed me, and I pray for that same patience when it comes to dealing with problems in my own life.

-Liz-

[Aravis Kenobi]

Really, I don't know. I guess maybe BarlowGirl because of their stand on purity, dating, and modesty.

[Sir Godfrey]

Oh many people, but all for good. My biggest influnce is got to be my parents and God.

[EveningStar]

Jacob Brownowski influenced me quite a bit. His "The Ascent of Man" is a profoundly stirring tour through the progress of man from the first walled city to the splitting of the atom. He has remarkable insight and the courage of his moral convictions.

CS Lewis of course had a very great impact on the way I view my faith and my relationship with God. I can't state this enough.

In how I view the world and man's place in it, I must give more than a passing nod to Jane Werner Watson, John Muir, Jacques Cousteau, Marlin Perkins, Winston Hibbler, Lois Crisler and Joy Adamson.

That is by no means a comprehensive list, but these people stand out.

John

[Sir Godfrey]

Of course C.S. Lewis, I love his books and his teachings. I read his quotes all the time. He is a great influnce in my life.

[Saruman]

First and foremost, Jesus. He made me who I am today.

After Him, I'd have to say my family. Neither my dad nor my only sibling/brother has a relationship with Christ, and my mom usually won't speak up for fear of offending my dad. But oddly, their lack of faith has strengthened mine. And I don't even know how to explain that. I suppose when I'm feel different from them, (up until recently) I didn't have a present-day human role-model to look up to, so I turned to Jesus. Soon He became what gets me through the tough times with my family.

This is so wonderful Liz!! What a tremendous blessing to hear such a testimony, and how Jesus has been that Guiding Strength in your life. Just had to comment on what a wonderful encouragement that is!

I would have to agree with you on Esther. She, too, has been an influence and an inspiration in my life. She is an image of the Christ in many ways, going in before the King on behalf of her people, willingly risking her own life out of deep consideration for others. I pray I, too, may be Christ-like in that arena, following the two greatest commandments of all: loving the Lord my God with all my being, and loving my neighbor as myself.

And I agree with you John regarding C.S. Lewis. If it weren't for him, none of us could be discussing here on this forum today about his marvelous works and his great influence. What a blessing he has been. A man who loved a good discussion and debate! Much is owed to him.

[LifeMaiden]

The fantastically friendly people of this forum! Yes, you may think...how can a group of online friends and fans devoted to Narnia have influenced an atheist such as myself?



In more ways than you can imagine. CS Lewis and Narnia, members here too many to count, but I will say PrinceoftheWest and his wonderfully supportive family, ( also members here) and many others...Aslanfriend410, Saruman,Ephinie, Inkspot...DaughterofEve92...their kindness, sense of humor, and friendliness as well as faith have deeply influenced my values and my own return to God.

[Aravis Kenobi]

I forgot to mention my other influence: my dad. He's really a great person, and though I inherited his short-temper, I love to be around him. We have a state park where I live, and we always go out there with our dog and walk. I feel like it's sort of a bonding time. We're really close, too. I also have to say my best friend because she's a person I can really open up to and discuss my walk with Christ. I've known her all my life, and she's just fun to be around. I think my grandma also influenced me because she's always giving of herself and she's always serving somewhere and taking care of my grandpa. My sister, not really because she's sort of stubborn and doesn't listen to my parents, and I don't want to be like that. (ok, I'm stubborn and hard-headed, but not as bad as she is) Lewis hasn't really influenced my life all that much, nor Tolkien, but the Narnia books is one thing I really treasure. I cried most in the film when I thought that Aslan was doing what Christ did for us so long ago on that cross, and it brought me to tears. Another influence would be Ruth and Esther because of their dedication to their people and family. That's all I can think of right now.

[Sir Godfrey]

Yes the people of this fourm have been a new influnce in my life. I've never met such a group that is encouraging and has the same intrests as me. I'm am so thankful I've gotten to meet some of you and I'm looking forward to meeting the rest of you.

[Aravis Kenobi]

I forgot to mention the forum people.

[Narborg]

1st, Jesus!!!
2nd Peter and paul
3rd C S Lewis
4th People at Cu!!!!
5th People at church
6th my famliy
7th YOU GUYS!!!!!!!!!!

( not nessasery in that order ;) )

[PrinceOfTheWest]

Obviously, Jesus Christ. However, He's used many people to do it. First were my parents, who helped me and prayed for me even though I was a problem kid. Also a high school teacher who trusted that I could be more than I was, and challenged me to become that. The team of a retreat I went to in high school, who introduced me to the Lord as an adult. C.S. Lewis, whose Chronicles of Narnia helped me through a difficult childhood and whose other writings formed the foundation for my adult faith. There are many others as well, but those are the big ones.

[brightlywound]

first and foremost GOD
my parents
and my mentor
my closest friends (the ones that really know me and i share everything and anything with, like 3 people)

:D

[echoscot]

Jacob Brownowski influenced me quite a bit. His "The Ascent of Man" is a profoundly stirring tour through the progress of man from the first walled city to the splitting of the atom. He has remarkable insight and the courage of his moral convictions.

CS Lewis of course had a very great impact on the way I view my faith and my relationship with God. I can't state this enough.

In how I view the world and man's place in it, I must give more than a passing nod to Jane Werner Watson, John Muir, Jacques Cousteau, Marlin Perkins, Winston Hibbler, Lois Crisler and Joy Adamson.

That is by no means a comprehensive list, but these people stand out.

John

Many have influenced me, from Youth Pastors, to teachers at School, and that would be Public School, there are some great teachers out there.

I like the reference to Winston Hibbler, I bet a lot of people don't know who that was. Being a big Disney buff, I recognized the name immediately. :rolleyes:

What drew my attention to this is actually the first post The Title "Who has influenced you?" with an ominous picture of Christopher Lee as Saruman. A clever bit of irony.....

[Jood]

Tons of people.
Jesus Christ first and foremost.
All the ladies in my Church are such a great blessing.
My pastor.
My guy christian friends, who are more like my brothers.
My dad, brother, and sister.
Lead guitarist for ApologetiX, Karl Vaughn Messner.
The rest of the dudes from ApologetiX.
Others, that I can't think of, but I know are there.

[Ephinie]

This is a very hard question. I can easily say that the people who have influenced me the most in recent months are you guys here on this forum. It's going back farther and trying to name people who influenced me as I was growing up and over a long period of time that is difficult. Definitely C.S. Lewis through his books, most notably Narnia. I am sure that my parents and other authority figures have at least "influenced" me one way or another, though it may not have always been a positive influence. My friends have influenced me also, because friends always do that whether one realizes it or not. My academic advisor from when I was working on my Bachelor's degree, Dr. Hall, has been a big influence on me. I really admire him, and I put a lot of stock in his opinions. The guys I work with are all good guys as well.

Of course, all these people I've just mentioned have been within the past five years. I can't think of anyone farther back than that right now.

[Neevil]

Jesus Christ, CS Lewis, my parents, my old piano teacher, a lot of historical people... mostly from the Reformation, like Martin Luther. Also, my pastor and youth pastor, and a few other people from my church. And my three cousins, who are practically my brothers.

[broken.]

This is going to be a long list...I'll try to keep it short. :)

J. S. Bach: He was a hardworking church musician, which i hope to be someday.

My youth pastor and associate pastor: They introduced me to music ministry and showed me what it was like to work in the church. A pivotal moment in my life was when my youth pastor told me he could see me being a worship leader someday.

Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, David Crowder Band, Charlie Hall, and Hillsong:Collectively, these artists represent the journey I've made/am making towards becoming a music pastor

My voice teacher: Ever since I started studying with her three years ago, my voice has gone places I never thought it would go. She's worked with and nurtured me, and become very much like a "vocal mother". She's also an amazing vocalist.

[ramandu's_daughter]

C.S. Lewis-he showed me the wonderful path to writing, and some other things that are a bit too complex to mention
Einstien-very different to what people thought he was. He actually almost failed a few grades in his middle school/high school life. He didn't care about being fancy or anything. He just liked his life how it was.
People on the DL:
Lieke- kool and totally awesome, she is very friendly.
The Protagonist- also kool (krinkels-kool ;) )and also totally awesome, he is also very friendly and he may be sarcastic but he's really nice.
And so many others that it would take forever to type...a lot of people here have influenced me. And I don't have forever to type because I have science homework..(ughh!)

[Samwise Gamgee]

WOW there is a lot of things and people that have infulced me. But I have only four now. Here they are:

Narnia and God[Aslan] also my Dad[whom I have braged on] and Narnia for sure.

[Son of Adam]

1. Jesus

2. Max Lucado

3. Billy Graham

4. Joseph Girzone - Author of the Joshua series of books

5. Joyce Meyer

6. Hal Lindsey

7. Jerry Jenkins & Tim LaHaye

8. Ken Copeland

9. Jack Hayford

10. Steve Irwin (Crocodile Hunter)

[LifeMaiden]

1. Jesus

2. Max Lucado

3. Billy Graham

4. Joseph Girzone - Author of the Joshua series of books

5. Joyce Meyer

6. Hal Lindsey

7. Jerry Jenkins & Tim LaHaye

8. Ken Copeland

9. Jack Hayford

You mentioned Billy Graham!! Awesome!!

[inkspot]

I never noticed this thread before. I think it is very awesome how several people mention members of this Forum as an influence on their lives. That really makes you stop and think: if what I'm doing right this moment is going to influence the people around me, I better do the best I possibly can. I don't want to be a bad influence!

* I'll say me mum has been a big influence because she is patient and kind and unperturbed and has a great outlook, which I am growing into all the time ... she sees every moment in light of eternity, so no one small problem can ruffle her calm or her faith in the future.

* CS Lewis, of course. Jack opened up a world of imagination for me when I was a youngster, in Narnia, and then I found as I grew up, he stuck right with me, with great insights and real common sense about life and faith. I only always wished I could call him up, you know, call him up and chat. But he was gone before I was born. Funny how someone can reach across a generation and feel like a contemporary.

* Bob Dylan. I know, it's freaky. But if you have followed his career, he always went his own way. People wanted him to be a folk singer, or a protest singer, and he just did what he wanted, followed the musical call he felt at that moment. He showed me the coolest thing to be is yourself and not care for the fashion of the moment.

* Joyce Meyers. She's the Christian preacher on TV, and she wrote a book called "Me and My Big Mouth" which had a profound influence on me! It showed me from the Scriptures how what you say, what actually comes out of your mouth, has a powerful impact for good or evil in the real, physical world. It was a very enlightening book, and it changed the words I say (or write).

* The Apostle Paul. His letters in the Bible gave me great insight into the faith, and especially the nature of grace and Christ in me, the hope of glory. By showing me how it is Jesus who has volunteered to live through me and make me perfect -- rather than me trying to be perfect myself! -- he took a huge weight off my shoulders! (Steve McVey in his book "Grace Walk" pointed this out to me, and did my friend Rick Rapier, so they both share this with Paul!)

* And of course, Jesus. He gave me the ultimate example for how in dying, we live. I hope He is the main influence in my life, and that some day I'll be so much like Him, it will be tough to tell us apart.

[LifeMaiden]

Other influences, most recently, have been the fantastic people at the Rachel Vineyard's retreat...I don't know if I should name them out of respect for privacy....but they were instrumental in my support as well.

I just didn't wear any mascara because LOL I figured I spent half the time crying anyways. I started to put some on in the morning before our day began and I said " Forget it. It isn't waterproof."


It seems so strange to look back on some of my very old posts and how defensive and so adamantly atheist I was, and that was just a short while ago, really. So it was definitely God working through the members here...Prince of the West, Parthian King, Inkspot, Ephinie, ArwenElizabeth, EveningStar, EchoScot, Saruman ...and many others, I cannot thank you enough!

[Sir Benjamin the Lion]

1.God
2.My parents
3.Jake Hess
4.My Pastor in Victoria, Texas, Bro. Rodney.
5.Friends
6.The Writings of such men as Washington, Bismarck, Wellington, Ben Franklin.

[Lucy the Marshwiggle]

1. Jesus Christ-Without Him I am nothing and without Him my life would have been an utter mess. He died on the cross for all mankind and is ALWAYS there for me no matter what. Without Him, I am a dead girl.

2. My family-They have always took me to church and I am grateful that they have discipled me from a young age to walk against the current and to walk in the road of Christianity.

3. My youth group-They have made me stronger Christian. They have their moments though. :rolleyes: :p

4. A brave soldier who gave me his cross before he left to Iraq. He asked me to pray for him and his family and I do until this day. He had such bravery and courage.

5. YOU GUYS!!! You have all made me a happier person and I love all of you!!!!

[Sir Godfrey]

1. Jesus Christ- my savior, my King and my friend.

2. Family (father, Mother and Brother).

3. Friends

4. George Lucas (Star Wars!).

5. C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia!).

I'll think of some others later....

[Parthian King]

I will forgo the obvious (God Himself, through His So Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit), since without God I would not even exist. Creation and eternal salvation for me go way beyond "influence" (not to denigrate those who felt compelled to mention God by name). In order of appearance in my life:

1) My parents, in particular my father, who taught me to love Christ and consider the weak.

2) My siblings, in particular a dear sister and a brother (POTW) who were instrumental in leading me to Christ over 25 years ago.

3) A series of pastors and missionary colleagues who have mentored me through the years.

4) My wife, who has encouraged me constantly in the Lord toward greater things.

5) A number of teachers and professors at various levels who have helped me refine my thinking.

6) Certain friends in other countries with whom I have ministered and enjoyed close friendship.

As far as writers go, Lewis and Tolkien are huge, but there are also a number of scholars (whose names would mean nothing to most) that have helped shape my thinking.

[Featherlightheart]

Im influenced by Final Fantasy because i believe in all the characters and talk to Zack and Aerith all the time!!!!!!!!!!! :D

[Sir Benjamin the Lion]

Add Otto von Bismarck to mine. His the Greatest Statesman that ever lived. :D He believed in God, and said that the greater fool was not the one who said there was not a God, but the one that said he didn't know if there was or not.

[LifeMaiden]

Add Otto von Bismarck to mine. His the Greatest Statesman that ever lived. :D He believed in God, and said that the greater fool was not the one who said there was not a God, but the one that said he didn't know if there was or not.


Yeah, the guy who unified all the German little states and principalities into Modern Germany in 1870. Also, you seem to admire Hitler as well, as you quoted him in another thread. Is he one of your influences too?

[Copperfox]

Whoa! Strong words directed to Sir Benjamin there!

I don't know in what context Benjamin may have quoted Hitler. On the other hand, it does at least raise an eyebrow for someone to admire Bismarck, who played a role in tilling the soil for the Nazis who would come after him.

Looking at the history of Germany is an occasion to realize that history requires deeper digging--and then MORE digging after that, going deeper than what we thought was deep enough. Here's what I mean:

There was a time when what we may loosely call the Free World accepted a simple view of World War One, that Germany and its allies were the bad guys, which made our side the good guys. Then some digging was done, to make us look at the fact that Britain and France, as well as Germany, were imperialistic, colonialistic powers. This facilitated the "progressive" attitude that both sides in any war are equally wrong. Along with the moral equivalence doctrine came the idea that nobody knew what they were doing, and Europe stumbled into war like a man tripping over a tree root.

But if we do even MORE digging, we find that Germany, or shall we say Prussia, was PLANNING far ahead of time for war with its rivals. There is preserved correspondence between the German Kaiser and the Russian Tsar, who were actually related to each other; and, at least according to what I've read, this correspondence reveals Kaiser Wilhelm's belligerence. And Prussian aggression had been going on for years. Thus, it IS possible after all to identify one side as MORE to blame for World War One than the other. The German side WAS more in the wrong.

Still, inclined as the Germans have been toward authoritarianism, it would be unfair to say that all of them always intended to lead up to every barbaric deed the Nazis eventually perpetrated. The Freikorps fighters who stopped a Communist takeover of Germany after World War One were not a Nazi movement, though some of them afterwards did willingly become Nazis. If not for the Freikorps, there might have been an unbroken Soviet empire extending right up to the French border before 1930.

If anybody's into old movies, I recommend one titled "Three Comrades," featuring Robert Taylor. It follows the fortunes of three German World War One veterans in the times just before the all-out fight between the Freikorps and the Spartacus Bund. The movie stays extremely vague about the issues between those two sides; I don't know if the original book was clearer.

Since I'm writing about German historical trends, I recall having once drawn a spiritual illustration from Prussia's 19th-century campaigns. Austria wanted to be included in any big federation of German states, and Prussia didn't want this to happen because a unified Germany _including_ Austria would be harder for Prussia to dominate; so, oddly, Prussia waged war against Austria for the purpose of NOT including Austria in its expanding power sphere! That, however, is not my "lesson." To proceed:

The decisive battle of the Austro-Prussian War showcased the opposing nations' respective choices in weapons investment. Austria had placed reliance on having the best possible heavy artillery, while Prussia had placed reliance on arming its common soldiers with the best possible rifles. When the cards were laid on the table, the rifles beat the artillery pieces. The most the Austrian artillery could boast of was that, when the Austrian army had lost the battle, the big Austrian guns were able to lay down fire that covered the Austrian retreat, so that the escaping Austrian soldiers were not massacred.

The application? In spiritual warfare, although "big guns" (such as famous evangelists) do provide some advantages to the church, there is NO substitute for having the rank-and-file Christian "foot soldiers" be well equipped with knowledge and spiritual fruit.

[LifeMaiden]

I was being sarcastic, Joseph. I have great admiration for Bismarck, and as far as Hitler's concerned, my admiration for him was the ability to rally a country that was in deep despair and depression after WWI. I forgot what part he played in the Weimar Republic. But I thought it was an odd thing to quote Hitler in a thread that was about evolution and the belief in creationism.


Russia, Germany, and Japan all modernized at about the same time...the 1860-1870's period. Meiji in Japan, Alexander the Second in Russia, and Bismarck in Prussia, which of course, was the modern state. Before that, there were hundreds of small principalities and states that would become the modern Germany or Prussia.


By the way, there's a biography of Bismarck on the shelf in my room here, and I took two German history classes. My last name is as German as it gets because that's the guy I married LOL...he was born in Germany, but moved to the US as a kid.


Joseph, chill out, man LOLOL.

[Sir Benjamin the Lion]

Russia was the last though. Russia modrenized under another person I admire. Peter the Great!!! Peter gave the Russian the scrotched earth tactic. He beat the greatest military might of his day, Sweden under Charles X. Peter founded St. Petersburg which my uncle went to, and it looks beautiful. I want to go there someday too.

[Tarkheena_Finduilas22]

I have a long list.

Probably my parents, who are there every day, my choir director, who is only there once a week, but has boosted my faith as well as my singing skills, my sibs, who offer insight (kind or not ;) )

And then we get into people from history that have influenced me. Beethoven was a really strong a courageous guy. No he didn't fight battles or save anyone's lives, but even when he went deaf, he continued on with his life as a composer and pianist.

Ruth. Gotta love her story in the bible.

Nehemiah. My dad's been preaching on him recently, and he has such great leadership skills, and doesn't let anyone's threats bring him down or take him away from God's work.

I probably have more... :)

[The First Joke]

who influences me? the people about whom i read... pscine patel from life of pi, my teachers, and the saints

[Lady Eve]

I've been influence by so many people in my life... first and foremost of course Jesus Christ and God. But secondly would have to be C.S. Lewis. Ever since I found his books I've grown much closer to God through them and been inspired by them. Another big influence in my life would be my older brother and sister, who are wonderful Christians who have always been there for me through the good and bad times. And though you may not think it... even some of the people on here have influenced me! :)

[Copperfox]

Mr. Lewis--obviously!

Some of you know that I'm a retired Navy petty officer. Back in my boyhood, two of my greatest heroes were Navy men: John Paul Jones and Doctor Thomas Dooley. And my favorite old sci-fi movie, "Robinson Crusoe On Mars," had as its hero an astronaut who was in the U.S. Navy; this character furthermore was an open believer in God--something which had an impact on me as a teenage agnostic.

[Darth Sparhawk]

Well, God, obviously, becauses He gives me hope and I feel secure because of His benevolence.
My parents and family, my grandmother, they all support me in the important times.
I mentioned that I lead a fantasy club, the friends in this club influence me. They are my best friends
My fave fantasy authors of course have influenced me as well. Say Tolkien, Lewis, Brooks, Eddings, Lucas, Paolini, Stanek, Rowling...
And last I want to mention a sportsman who I had at times hated, but now I admire and respect greatly. This is Michael Shumacher, the embodiment of the word "victory".

[Tsukiko]

Oh! I've been influenced by Christ of course. ^_^ & these three other people...but I'd rather not say who they are. :o

[Grey Pilgrim]

John Lennon is the biggest influence on my life i mean his messages got to me such as " Power To The People' and " Give Peace a Chance " then it would be God who is the Utalmite redeemer showed me that sinner like me could be saved

[Bramblefox]

Oh goodness, where to start??

God inspires me, first and foremost, because without Him I would not be alive and on this earth.

I was inspired to start singing WELL when I saw Phantom for the first time, and people like Sarah Brightman and my mom (who is/was a professional singer) have inspired me to become better at singing.

Various artist have inspired me to become a good artist, and Erik (from Phantom) has inspired me to work harder at being a musician. I could keep going, but this list could get pretty long...

[Copperfox]

One of my boyhood heroes was a humanitarian doctor named Tom Dooley, who brought not only medical care, but medical knowledge, to poor people in Southeast Asia in the 1950's.

Dooley certainly did more good than John Lennon, who left his first wife for another woman, who boasted that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus Christ, and who sang "Imagine no possessions" while he was a multimillionaire himself.

[Doffen]

Dooley certainly did more good than John Lennon

Certainly, you don't know that. You have no idea what kind of good John Lennon could've done, and what kind of evil Dooley could've done. It's a odd statement saying that someone's done more good then anyone else, as ones life is not documented.

People who has influenced me, hmm ..

Darrel Abbot has influenced many by his music, as he has influenced me.

My Tae-Kwondo trainer and sensei influenced me alot in the way of life.

My friend (he's a cop) who took me up as a freshly brought teenager and teached me how to behave. And with that, we also gained a awesome friendship that we still have.

[Princey]

God. Enough said.

Gerard Way. He may cuss like a sailor, but he's changed my way of looking at the world. Whether that's good or bad, I don't know. But it really inspired me the way he got out of drugs and depression, and is now out there doing what he loves- singing and performing. And the people he's saved with his music...I'm just blown away by him.

Mika. This man may not have saved millions of peoples' lives, but he makes me happy. Unbelievably, incredibly happy. If I'm down, one of his songs immediately cheers me up. Just looking at him or hearing his name makes a goofy smile creep across my face.

And of course, those great people like Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King. They've shown me that I can be anything I want if I try, and if I want it enough. And also that I can be proud of who I am, whether I'm white or black.

[Miss.SunFlower]

as said many times; God.

my older brother

my friends

TDL

my fav. teachers

[Copperfox]

Doffen, Tom Dooley's career is VERY well documented. He continues to be remembered as a hero in Laos, despite all that came between then and now. As for John Lennon, he left such an example of self-indulgence that the damage it did rivals the damage from his deceptive message of appeasing evil under the label of "giving peace a chance." That idiotic song keeps getting applied to situations like that of Saddam Hussein, where negotiation and diplomacy ALREADY HAVE been tried, over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over, with no result EXCEPT helping the murderous tyrant.

[Doffen]

Doffen, Tom Dooley's career is VERY well documented. He continues to be remembered as a hero in Laos, despite all that came between then and now. As for John Lennon, he left such an example of self-indulgence that the damage it did rivals the damage from his deceptive message of appeasing evil under the label of "giving peace a chance." That idiotic song keeps getting applied to situations like that of Saddam Hussein, where negotiation and diplomacy ALREADY HAVE been tried, over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over, with no result EXCEPT helping the murderous tyrant.

Yes but so what? Who are YOU to say that Tom Dooley was a nicer man then John Lennon? Did you know any of them private? Did you know how any of them thought or what they /really/ stood for? No, I'm pretty sure neither you nor the other 5 billion people on this planet except their families or closely related friends new their inner evils or goods. You have no right to say that Tom Dooley was a better man then John Lennon.

[Copperfox]

John Lennon left one wife for another; Tom Dooley didn't. Tom Dooley dedicated his life to relieving suffering, right up until cancer took him; John Lennon basically had a party, giving lots of publicity to promiscuous sex and drug abuse. I have a right to do exactly what Jesus said: to know them by their fruits. And before you say "Judge not" (THE most abused verse in the Bible), let me mention that in John 7 Jesus told us TO "judge with right judgment." If John Lennon were still living, I would pray for him; indeed, I did pray for him while he was living. But I have EVERY right to say that a life lived entirely for the good of others is better than a life lived to have fun.

[Doffen]

John Lennon left one wife for another; Tom Dooley didn't. Tom Dooley dedicated his life to relieving suffering, right up until cancer took him; John Lennon basically had a party, giving lots of publicity to promiscuous sex and drug abuse. I have a right to do exactly what Jesus said: to know them by their fruits. And before you say "Judge not" (THE most abused verse in the Bible), let me mention that in John 7 Jesus told us TO "judge with right judgment." If John Lennon were still living, I would pray for him; indeed, I did pray for him while he was living. But I have EVERY right to say that a life lived entirely for the good of others is better than a life lived to have fun.

Yes, you have the right to do whatever you want, but I think it's to bad that you judge people by seeing what the media wants you to see. I'm 99,99% sure you didn't knew mr. Lennon in private, therefor, it's a longshot for you saying that his life was about partying and delievering a bad message around. There are more to a life then two aspects.

[Copperfox]

"The media" didn't force John Lennon to put out the products he put out. His songs were not written by hostile newspaper reporters who then stuck his name on them. He promoted hedonism by his own choice.

But just to show that I'm not automatically down on all British rockers, I am a great admirer of another John, John Lodge of the Moody Blues. His anthem to childhood, "Emily's Song," became one of the lullabies I used to sing to my daughter when I put her to bed.

[Son of Adam]

Who influenced my life:

1. My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

2. The Apostle John

3. The Apostle Paul

4. Max Lucado

5. Dr. J. Vernon McGee

6. Rev. Jim Spillman

7. Rev. Dave Gunderson

8. Rev. Billy Graham

9. Kenneth Copeland

10. My wife

11. Steve Irwin - the Crocodile Hunter

12. Joyce Meyer

[Wunderkind]

Many people.That's all I can say. :)

[Jack of Blades]

Indiana Jones influenced the majority of my childhood, and explains a lot of how I turned out. So did Steve Irwin, and I cried when he died.
Gandalf, and the men at the Alamo.
Stephen Colbert and Jay Leno.
John 117 and Sergent Johnson.
Soldiers and America.
EveningStar and Lari.

There are probably a lot more, but I'm just forgetting.

[Copperfox]

Thank you, Jack, for honoring the heroes of the Alamo! I visited the site in 1993 with my now-deceased first wife, and I consider it a shrine to bravery and sacrifice.

Today's political-correctness police, eager to find "racism" behind every tree, want us to believe that the Texas Revolution was a racist project of evil white supremacists who couldn't bear the thought of brown-skinned people having any authority. The actual fact, though, is that the white Texans had been prepared to accept Mexican authority; but then they found that they were not granted adequate representation as Mexican citizens. It was a sort of "taxation without representation" problem. When the revolt came--and this is something the p.c. police don't want us to know--there were MEXICANS who joined the TEXAN side because of the same regional grievance.

[Jack of Blades]

Thank you, Jack, for honoring the heroes of the Alamo! I visited the site in 1993 with my now-deceased first wife, and I consider it a shrine to bravery and sacrifice.

Today's political-correctness police, eager to find "racism" behind every tree, want us to believe that the Texas Revolution was a racist project of evil white supremacists who couldn't bear the thought of brown-skinned people having any authority. The actual fact, though, is that the white Texans had been prepared to accept Mexican authority; but then they found that they were not granted adequate representation as Mexican citizens. It was a sort of "taxation without representation" problem. When the revolt came--and this is something the p.c. police don't want us to know--there were MEXICANS who joined the TEXAN side because of the same regional grievance.

I live about 4 hours from the Alamo, so I've been there a few times, usually once a year, but last year was too busy.
And I did not know that Mexicans had joined the Texan side, thanks for that bit of info.
In case some people don't know, (not everyone's from Texas, hethens :p jk) the Alamo was filled with around 180 to 250 men all together, they held a 13 day resistance against the Republic of Mexico, which had over 6,500 men but only 1,500 men were used in the assault and at the 13th day the Alamo was over run by the remainder of the Mexican army. The Battle of the Alamo started Febuary 23, 1836 in what is now San Antonio. Those 180 to 250 men killed 600 of the Mexican soldiers, and wounded many more. Unfortunatly everyone at the Alamo except a few women and children and 2 slaves, were killed. But what is really amazing to me is that almost all of the men at the Alamo were not soldiers, instead they were volunteers.
28 Officers
30 volunteers from South Carolina (along with William B. Travis)
15 volunteers from Tennessee (along with David (Davy) Crockett)
32 volunteers from Gonzales (the only who responded to the repeated appeals for help of Colonel Travis)
All other volunteers (81) came from different countries (England, Scotland, Germany, Ireland) and from various States.

March 6th, 1836 6:30 A.M, the last shots were fired and the Alamo was overrun and defeated.

Santa Anna's troop was around 6,500 men when they left, reduced by illness and desertion, and even more reduced by the efforts of the men at the Alamo. Then end result was 1,250 men left, who were defeated by Sam Houston's 910 men at the Battle of San Jacinto. Soldiers at the Battle of San Jacinto who wanted revenge on the Mexican soldiers cried out the famous battle cry, "Remember the Alamo!"

[Sir Benjamin the Lion]

Ooo!!! What about Johnny Cash's song, "Remember the Alamo"? :D For that most glorious cause of freedom.

All my friends have influenced me.
Bismarck, Maggie Thatcher, George Washington, Robert E. Lee, Edward I, Family (extended and close.), Paul, Christ, Moderators, Teachers, Benjamin Franklin, Edison, Ronald Reagan, Sam Houston, Dacid Crocket, William Travis, Daniel Greene, General Winfield Scott, General W. S. Hancock, Longstreet.

[Copperfox]

Davey Crockett could well be cited over on the Socialism thread. When he served in Congress, Colonel Crockett warned that, if once the government began giving away taxpayers' money to individuals in welfare payments, there would be no end of the increasing numbers of people demanding handouts.

[Inkling]

All my friends have influenced me.
Bismarck, Maggie Thatcher, George Washington, Robert E. Lee, Edward I, Family (extended and close.), Paul, Christ, Moderators, Teachers, Benjamin Franklin, Edison, Ronald Reagan, Sam Houston, Dacid Crocket, William Travis, Daniel Greene, General Winfield Scott, General W. S. Hancock, Longstreet.

Sir Benny, I hardly knew you ;). Anyone who can combine a King of England with several Confederate generals is OK in my book :D. I've always admired Lee's integrity and sense of honor. I don't know that I'd have chosen Longshanks, though. Perhaps Elizabeth I...talk about brilliant. Some other influences, besides Christ, who absolutely tops the list, and my amazing parents, husband, and friends, are Shakespeare (what's in a name, after all?), Dante, and Theodore Roosevelt. As for people I know, I'd have to say that my friend Julie (you know her as Into the Wardrobe) has challenged me more than I can say. Dr. John Mark Reynolds taught me to think for myself...now how can I stop doing that ;).

[timbalionguy]

Let's see here.....

First and foremost, the real 'great Lion' Jesus Christ!

Secondly, many big cats, who have taught me things about life and love no human ever could. Among these are liger Hobbs, lions Kenya, Serena, Sierra, Jambo, Rudy, Chucky, Judah Daren, Sheba, Leo, Rocky, Nala, Marjan, Bongo, William, Judah William, and Josef. Tigers Tasha, Nikki, Detonator, Ahimsa, Marko and Nikolai. Leopards Tara and Sundar. Cougars Sable, Songan, Kicky and Missy. These cats, more than anything else, are my 'family'.

My parents, who raised me right.

In the Christian world, the people with the most influence were/are:

Bruce Paynter, my 'spiritual father'. He patiently helped me learn the ways of God. He's now an executive at Kimberly-Clark paper products.

Harold Maxwell, who is first a super Christian, and secondly a lionkeeper.

Wayne Hosek, who is first a super Christian and second a lion hunter.

Paul Hess, a friend who I helped grow in the Lord, and he in turn started me into broadcasting.

Keith Green, a famous musician who 'walked his talk'. God took him home early.

Nick Kuzulka, who was an outstanding example of a businessman to me as a teenager, and who taught me much of my business sense.

Mike Gonnering, who taught me much I would need to be a permanently single Christian, and to love venison!

Doc Bhagavan Antle, famous cat trainer who teaches only the highest standards of his art, and promotes excellence in everyone whose life he touches.

Ted Langdell, independent producer and good friend.

J.S. Bach, a man of God and the greatest composer who ever lived.

Other influences:

John Williamson of 'Tigertouch'. He and I are kindred spirits in many ways.

Charlie Anderson, who helped invent the VTR back in 1956. He is probably the closest human friend I have.

Tom Mathes, who taught me the 'ropes' of being a broadcast engineer, without really being one himself.

Steve Judy, who taught me the practical ins and outs of big cat keeping.

Alan King, coworker and friend when I was in Rochester, NY. Alan was tragically killed by a drunk driver in 1992. After that, I have shared a wonderful bond with his extended family.

John Braachsma, who taught me the practical aspects of electronic servicing.

Mike Moran, a broadcast engineer who inspired me to seek it as a career.

'Tad', K9PZJ. An amateur radio operator who introduced me to the hobby and planted seeds of both ham radio and a career in electronics.

Teachers:

Darrel Gunderson, who is responsible for much of my love of biology and biochemistry.

William Richardson, an electronic teacher, who taught me more electronics in 2 years of high school than some students learn in 4 years of college.

Mathematics teachers Dick Schraam and Sue Blomgren, who both taught me to love and enjoy math, even though it has always been a weak subject for me.

[LadyArya]

my sister..Shes older and always tells me stuff

[Catherine]

I've been influenced an inspired by neighbor Lisa, cause, see, i tend to have little patience and a bad temper sometimes, but Lisa is one of the the most patient, good-natured person i have ever met, an she's always really nice.

[Lila]

God.

Nathan Hale. I've been researching him for a major school project...

“I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”

Also: My Grandma, my friend Sarah, and Stephanie Meyer. There are tons more.

[Copperfox]

I have read somewhere--I wish I could tell you where--that, although Nathan Hale was indeed as heroic as the legend says, he did not actually say that famous phrase before he died. It was credited to him later. What I read says that he simply said, "A good soldier must always obey the orders of his superiors."

[Lila]

Hmmm. I should talk to my Social Studies teacher about that.

[Ephinie]

I have read somewhere--I wish I could tell you where--that, although Nathan Hale was indeed as heroic as the legend says, he did not actually say that famous phrase before he died. It was credited to him later. What I read says that he simply said, "A good soldier must always obey the orders of his superiors."Though US is not my field of study, I was taught that he MAY have said the famous line; but chances are he did not. Apparently his speech was recorded later, so there was some ambiguity about exactly what was said. But it sounded as if the sentiment of the occassion coincided with the recorded famous saying.

[Grey Pilgrim]

"The media" didn't force John Lennon to put out the products he put out. His songs were not written by hostile newspaper reporters who then stuck his name on them. He promoted hedonism by his own choice.

But just to show that I'm not automatically down on all British rockers, I am a great admirer of another John, John Lodge of the Moody Blues. His anthem to childhood, "Emily's Song," became one of the lullabies I used to sing to my daughter when I put her to bed.
i think there is more too john Lennon than you are claming him to be.i mean I love his messages of give peace a chance and power to the people and i dont think you should hate him because he had an affair or he had an evil message behind his songs which is not true . i Mean look at The Boss he had and affair do you hate him too . Or do you hate Jimi Hendrix for his songs and his rendition of the star spangled banner and he changed it.The both where trying to say is that they wanted troops out of Vietnam Everlasting peace , no more war , A liberal Government.

[~Lava~]

I have too many to name, my family is a big one though, and Jesus is first and foremost in the influence in my life.

[Copperfox]

Jimi, disapproval is not necessarily hatred. If I could have prevented John Lennon from being murdered, I would have. Likewise I do not wish any harm to Bruce Springsteen, but I can't approve of his having left his wife for another woman. I would not do that to my wife, even if I were a celebrity and had people telling me that being a celebrity set me above moral laws.

[PunkMaister]

Jimi, disapproval is not necessarily hatred. If I could have prevented John Lennon from being murdered, I would have. Likewise I do not wish any harm to Bruce Springsteen, but I can't approve of his having left his wife for another woman. I would not do that to my wife, even if I were a celebrity and had people telling me that being a celebrity set me above moral laws.


Quoted for truth...

[Grey Pilgrim]

Jimi, disapproval is not necessarily hatred. If I could have prevented John Lennon from being murdered, I would have. Likewise I do not wish any harm to Bruce Springsteen, but I can't approve of his having left his wife for another woman. I would not do that to my wife, even if I were a celebrity and had people telling me that being a celebrity set me above moral laws.
it was bad thing to do and i would do that to my Gf ether but i still like him

[Solya]

God influenced me.

My childhood influenced me. My parents and family influenced me. My friends influenced me. Everyone I have met in my life influenced me.

C.S. Lewis influenced me. J.K. Rowling influenced me. Frank Herbert influenced me. J.R.R. Tolkien influenced me. Narnia influenced me. Hogwarts influenced me. Dune influenced me. Middle-Earth influenced me.

Miracles influenced me.

Love influenced me.

[Copperfox]

Frank Herbert, eh? We don't hear much about him here. Did you feel annoyed the same way I felt annoyed about---



SPOILER!



SPOILER!



SPOILER!



SPOILER!



SPOILER!



SPOILER!



SPOILER!




-- Herbert actually killing off poor Paul Atreides TWICE?

[Solya]

Yes... I felt annoyed with a lot of things as the books progressed. Still, I cannot deny the impact they have had on me as a person. I remember actually being afraid of the impact they would have on me before I even read them, because I had seen my then-friends become different after they had read the books. They changed me too, but I think I just became more mindful of my own place in the universe and became more able to pierce through layers of society in order to uncover my own truths.

[Copperfox]

A never-very-famous actor named Paul Mantee influenced me for the good, without knowing it. In about 1960, he starred in the modest yet excellent science fiction movie "Robinson Crusoe on Mars," which I saw as a not-yet-Christian teenager some years after it was made.

The importance of this movie was that the hero played by Mr. Mantee actually had a serious belief in the Judeo-Christian God, and spoke of his faith during the film. As a sci-fi fan since childhood, I had up till then encountered NO break or departure from the materialistic, atheistic viewpoint of authors. But here I saw that belief in God did NOT have to be segregated from thoughts of science and the future.

Many, many years later, in fact within the past six years, I learned that Mr. Mantee was still living, and had become a novelist. I wrote him a letter, telling him what his movie had meant to me, and proceeded to buy his two novels: "In Search of the Perfect Ravioli" and "Bruno of Hollywood." Thus did I encounter a disappointment as profound as the inspirational uplift of the old movie had been glorious. Mr. Mantee proved to be a denier and mocker of God, and both of his novels were disgustingly pornographic and cynical. I brought away from this the lesson that God can use even those who reject Him to help reach others who will accept Him, no thanks to the rejecters.

[Wild Rose]

Cornelia Funke, whos book Inkheart got me to start writting, a major part of my life now is my writting.
My brother who I look up to. He has taught me, and helped me.
My friends who keep me in balance with my life and the things going on.

And to me most importantly my Friend Hannah who has helped my though so much and now has me taking on a new look of the world and what is happening. She has changed who I am, for the better, and has me doing things that I know are good for my. Without her, I would probally be in a completely different place. For all I know I could be a run away with out her and her kind words.

[Protagonist]

John Woo, Shigeru Miyamoto, Richard Adams, Shakespeare, Walt Disney. Just to name a few right off the top of my head.

[broken.]

Jesus: He's the ultimate example of a well lived Christian life.

J.S. Bach: He was a devout Christian and a gifted musician; also, the Baroque period is one of my favorite periods in music history

My mother: She believes in me and what I'm doing with my life.

Darlene Zschech: She's one of the few women I can look up to in the area of ministry I'm going to.

My music pastor: He has so much talent and wisdom, as well as love for God and the department he's in charge of. I hope I can emulate him in some small way when I get into music ministry.

Chris Tomlin: He's a gifted songwriter who is helping shape the face of worship music. Also, he's a really nice guy (I got to meet him once :))

Matt Redman: Another gifted songwriter and musician with a heart after God.

My friend Mindy: She was one of the first people to set me on the path to my feminist beliefs.

[Copperfox]

Feminist beliefs? You realize, "feminism" by now has acquired multiple meanings. I trust your understanding of it involves lifting women up, not tearing men down.

[Ephinie]

My friend Mindy: She was one of the first people to set me on the path to my feminist beliefs.
Hahahahahaha! Mindy is a... special... kind of person. :p

[inkspot]

Joyce Meyers -- does anyone read her books? Her book "Me and My Big Mouth" had a huge impact on me. It talks about the importance of what you say aloud as it impacts your life and future.

On rather the same subject, Dr. Richard Dobbins, a psychologist who wrote "Invisible Imprint," which is about what other people sense while in your presence ... Full of great wisdom for how to make sure you make a godly influence, whether you are speaking or silent.

And Charles Kraft through his book, "I Give You Authority," which details the authority we have in Christ.

These are three that always come to mind. Of course our beloved CS Lewis had a huge influence on me, too.

[Neevil]

One book that has influenced me a lot is "The Lost Virtue of Happiness," by J.P. Moreland and Klaus Issler. I always knew we should try to glorify God in everything we do, but before I read that book I didn't really think seriously about the applications of that. They give so much practical advice to really live a disciplined life that is glorifying to God in every aspect. Good stuff.

[inkspot]

Sounds good -- I may look for it this Lent while I am reading only inspriational books ...
:)

[The Second Pevensie]

1. Jesus
2. My parents
3. my best friend
4. C.S. Lewis
5. Becca, Alyssa, and Lauren Barlow of BarlowGirl