My Life

With every great person, there are others behind them supporting them. One person that inspired me was, Dr. Yvonne Thornton, her story reminded me of myself. For example; when she stated her father brought her a car so she would never have to get in the car with a male (something my dad did). Also her rabbit theory, which is the way my family taught me, never cheat, but always learn from the next whether dealing with life or school. My Aunt Brenda and Uncle Cliff also inspired me in many ways. All my life I saw them be nothing but the best, they taught me lessons of life, how to be better, and how to treat others. My Aunt and Uncle taught me always do better than before, never let anybody tell me I’m not good enough, only except or higher. I can honestly say they are great inspiration to me and what I strive to be in the future. My Aunt Brenda’s words of wisdom are; “Remember God is always first in your

What I learned and understood about my father through conversations with my older siblings was about the impact of the loss of my grandfather (my father’s father) at an early age, heavy responsibilities taken on at an early age (hardship of the Depression era) to help support his mother and younger siblings. This led him to a strong sense of responsibility and a deep faith. But it all made him seem emotionally unavailable. The hard times for black families dealing with racial discrimination and the horrors of Jim Crow led to strictness that he, in all likelihood, felt was necessary for the survival of his children. There simply was no place for lighthearted fun. This greater understanding led to a stronger connection with my father, and an appreciation for such things as his devotion to having taken care of his family, his integrity, compassion for those less fortunate than himself, and the commitment as a deacon and Sunday school teacher.

At church, in addition to my participation in the worship services, I volunteered at our church’s soup kitchen, medical camps and elementary school for underprivileged children. These experiences opened my eyes to the deprivation of love and care in the world and a dire need of God’s grace for people at large so they could receive forgiveness, healing and restoration in their lives.

There have been countless influential people in my life that I’ve come across. One who was a meticulous inspiration continues to be my grandfather. My grandmother had remarried to the one I call “grandpa” when I was at the age of five, and they both took to each other’s grandchildren as their own. With my mother and me only living a mile down the road from their farmhouse out in the country, I’d spent heaps amount of time there as a child. Indeed, I had been without a father but my grandfather stepped up to the plate and had taken me under his wing and willingly played the personification of a father figure.

For 17 years God has blessed me to serve alongside my husband as directors of Chi Alpha at the University of Texas at Arlington. During my time here, I have served and mentored hundreds of young women and internationals who now fulfill the mission of Chi Alpha in the marketplace and the world as pastors, missionaries, police officers, nurses, teachers, and social workers. I am especially thankful to walk with those students who came to faith, experienced discipleship, and the Holy Spirit empowered their lives through the ministry.

My grandfather, J. King Burk, is a man of very few words, but if you get to know him you will come to find that he has been through a lot in his lifetime. My brother and I have a connection with him that most grandchildren don’t have with their grandparents because he was with us when our parents separated. He understands how difficult it is to be raised by one parent, he helped raise my brother and I, and I go to him when I’m making important decisions.

So you wanted to know about some of my family history. My Grandparents have worked extremely hard for what they have got and don’t take any of it for granted. They all have been good role models, and have set good examples for us Grand-Kids. Even though they have dug some holes for themselves they all have dug themselves back out of that hole, and came back stronger. Now they have made it possible for us not to make the same mistakes that they have

Most people have impacted my life, but one person particularly has impacted my life greatly. My granddad was the person that has impacted my life ever since I was born. Even though my grandpa has been dead for 10 years going on 11 he still impacts my life daily. Since we had a close relationship I always knew when he is around even though he is gone. He would have inspired me in ways that most people never didn’t. I miss him plenty, but luckily his spirit is still with us no matter what happens.

The first story is the church in a rural community in Minnesota. Before Roy started ministering at this church there were five people that attended. The closest church to this one was twenty miles south with roughly thirty-five people. He saw an opportunity to enhance the current community. Roy spoke with the minister of the church twenty miles away. They spoke and combined the two churches, held community events with all of the church-goers, and now had around forty people going to the combined church. He and the other minister would preach either together or do every other weekend. This is very inspiring to me because of how he took two separate churches and communities and combined them to make an even better one with parties, socials, and events. The second story and most inspirational to me is how he takes care of his wife. A couple years ago Norma, Roy’s wife had a brain tumor that had to be removed but at the cost of a part of the brain. After the procedure her memory was basically wiped out. She does remember things but only for about one day. I cannot imagine what it is like to have to help a person with a disability like this. First of all, Roy never complains about the situation and has a lot of patience to deal with to repeating ‘who’ or ‘what’ questions. He also puts all of his time and effort into taking care of her which doesn’t leave room for spare time. This takes many skills such as patience,

I was fortunate enough to know and spend quality time with more than half of my great grandparents. The stories they would tell me about their lives, our family, and experiences they lived through were invaluable lessons of who I am and where I came from. Most of all it taught me life lessons of perseverance, devotion to family, willingness to sacrifice, pride, and faith. Just like Billy, I learned the harsh lesson of sorrow and lost, but more importantly how to move on and not to take anything for granted as life is too

He became my teacher, even though he was considerably younger, he was ages wiser. He did not expect me to completely change overnight, and apparently, neither did God. He did, however, do his best to drill hope in me. "It will be the base of your virtue! It will help you handle burdens and provide you with strength to love and feel joy!" He tolled me over and over again.

My grandpa helped me through one of the toughest transitions in my life. Moving from my soccer club that I haved played for since I was six to a team that was five divisions higher. To then moving from that team to a different club that is ranked third in the nation. It would have been much harder if he was not there for

The story that spoke to me most was in Two Tales (n.d). In the tale, a mullah stops to assist three men with their dilemma. From the beginning, the mullah demonstrated active listening and compassion. He was willing to help and, without hesitation, gave of himself to bring peace to these three men. By offering his camel, he simplified the conflict and made the solution more evident. Sometimes when we are too close to the conflict, our perspective is narrowed and we are unable to find resolution. The mullah, a third party to the conflict, could see the answer himself. Instead of providing the answer to them, he helped them work the problem so they could realize the solution themselves and grow from the experience. The mullah’s management of

For me when I saw who the priest showed mercy, love, and believed in the man more than he could for himself, I was amazed. Growing up in a Southern Baptist Church I did not see people how exhibit these traits. Most of them were more concerned about the social status than others. I want to be the person who loves people regardless of the past life and believe in them when no one else does. I feel that I have been called to the social misfits and the outcast. Largely in part that growing up I did not seem to fit into any particular group. While I was good at athletic I did not fit in with the jocks crowd. They to me were way to cruel and self involved. So I would hangout with the geeks. While I did not really ever feel like a geek, they at least where not judging me. I have found that I rather spend my time with people who admit to their fault and seek to better themselves. Then the people how refuse to admit there flaws and are egotistical. Even from a teaching stand point it is much easier to teach people who are

For example, my grandfather Jerry was a doctor and my Great Aunt Margaret and Pat were nurses. Anytime I was sick, my mom would always call her dad up and talk to him rather than rushing me to a doctor. When I was in the 7th grade, it was one of the hardest times of my life, Jerry was suffering from heart attacks and fluid in his lungs. I had never been exposed to the feeling of loss until he passed away. Losing one of my role models and someone that I cared deeply about made me a stronger person. Since his passing, I have seen more and more of my aunts and uncles than I had before, and growing strong relationships with all of them.