Personal Childhood Web

When I think about the influence of my life, I can only come up with two places that have been a part of me since before I was born: the home and the church. My family and the church have been the most consistent things in my journey thus far. Even though I went to school there was never a teacher that really influenced me to become a teacher. Last week, I spoke on how my siblings taught me the importance of being a positive influence in a person's life. As I was thinking on the people who have influenced me the most on how to be the person God has call me to be have been: my grandmother, my mother, and the pastors of two churches.

First, there is my Grandma,Spotswood Alice Franklin. She passed away October 27, 2005 a year before I decided to go off to college. This is not me in the picture, but she loved every single one of her grandchildren. My Grandma is the first actual teacher I can remember. She was a one of those nurses that would take care of patients in the home, and she would take me with her. One of my fondness memories is of me banging on pots and pans in that house. My grandma would always let me be me. She encouraged me to go to college and be great.

Second, there is my Mommy, Yolanda Francis Beary. Mommy has influenced me from the very beginning by the choices she made concerning my life. She told me she was on the table at the abortion clinic about to abort me when God told her not to do it. Mommy could have done it anyway, but she reverenced God in her life and choice to keep me. The next choice she made was moving from Newark, NJ to Goldsboro, NC. This is also a choice that was influenced by God. Mommy has shown me what it means to trust God with the unknown.

Third, there are the pastors of Spirtfilled-Family Worship Center in Goldsboro, NC, Apostles Edwin and Catherine Newsome. Through their ministry, I got the final push I needed to go off to college. They ministered that if I didn't like the situation I was in to change it. James 2:17 basically says faith is nothing without works. I had the faith, but hadn't been working towards the change I wanted. I stand now as a college graduate because of their Godly influence.