Rodney Mack's Influence On People

We all know that we will encounter storms of life but often enough it is not the exterior storms that pose the gravest danger. It is the storms of the interior that often threaten us the most. Our daily challenges may sometimes seem overwhelming but what is going on inside can pose the greater threat to our lives, to our peace of mind, and even to our faith. The miracle story we hear of in the Gospel of Mark today demonstrates perfectly the struggle that we all go through and he gives us a way through those struggles in the example of the disciples.

Week three’s devotional really touched me. Many people think they can do everything on their own, that they do not need God in their life. I feel that we all need God to help us get through the challenges in our lives, so we can grow and learn from those challenges. John 14:26 says, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you” (NASB). John 14:26 supports my feelings when it comes to needing God, as He will teach us.

"Move into the direction where God wants you to be still, into the storm, as He makes your enemies your foot stool, in your obedience, good work, faith and Love." ~ Jon Barnes

“Even during the hardest days, I trusted Him to guide me with strength so I could be the light of hope for my family, friends and community” (Yuzefpolsky, Leticia).

In the great country of America; America is who it is today because of the men and woman who were great leaders that were able to influence people. Martin Luther King Jr. is one of those great leaders that has changed America for the better because he had a dream. He was a black baptist minister who was a spokesperson against segregation and led peaceful protests. In the 2014 movie Selma, the film shows how Mr. King led the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches and the events leading up to it. Mr. King was a remarkable leader because he could motivate people to join him in the protest against segregation and influence America to change.

John studied at many schools such as Harvard law, Riverdale country school, Choate rosemary hall, and lastly Sanford university/graduate school of business. He had a saying, “do not pray for easy, pray to be a stronger man.” I think this quote means asking God to make you a stronger person; to face things, then pray for things to be easy your whole life. Reasoning I’m sharing about his quote is because it influences me in a way to motivate.

I’m in the middle of a journey in my life with choosing to return to school after being downsized from a job of more than 12 years. These past few weeks have been exceptionally difficult with taking multiple classes, homework, looking for a job, running a house and my husband getting sick. This was the main thing that just took me over especially since he’s usually healthy and rarely ever gets so much as a cold. We’ve been together since high school so together longer than we’ve been apart. We’ve been back and forth to the hospital and to a specialist all in the past few weeks. The devotional contains so many scriptures that sent me the messages I truly need to hear as I was feeling overwhelms and tired. But the following is the one that hits home for me:

Martin Luther King Jr. was an African-American civil rights activist who lived from 1929 to 1968. He was mostly known for his peaceful protest movements across America, and for his speech ‘I Have a Dream’. Martin Luther King Jr. was also known for his connection to Christianity, and how he used the influence of Jesus Christ throughout his life to lead the people of the activist movement through times of trial and revolution, while relating many of his teachings to the Bible. He made very significant contributions because of his belief, although he did encounter many difficulties. He was inspired by Jesus Christ from a very early age and continued to use that influence to do great and significant changes to the society of the middle 1900’s

"When we pray, God hears more than we say, answers more than we ask, gives more than we imagine...In his own time and his own way " This inspirational quote expresses the greatness of God and His importance in our lives. God is the overseer and all-knowing power of all things. Therefore, I believe an important life lesson is that God is relevant in the lives of every individual. Another important life lesson is that we can rely on God at all times by developing and maintaining a relationship with Him. A third important lesson is that every person can expect to face challenges in life but we should be encouraged through faith. These life lessons are clearly emphasized in Dr. C. Moorer’s autobiography “From Failure to Promise”. The book focuses

have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NIV). It took a trial in my

Rodney was black and Steven was white, one day after school they started to fight. As they wrestled around all the students cheered, then out in the distance a spaceship appeared. A ramp opened up and an alien walked out, he saw the children fighting and started to shout.

Application: Often times in my own life, I lack faith in God’s promises. So I try to do things on my own and usually end up in a bigger mess than what I started with. If I would have just had faith, I would of ended up with a lot less heartache. But God is always faithful and even when I screw up God blesses me and keeps all his promises.

This dedication and commitment will not only keep us in the right direction, but help guide us should we become lost. While I am not stranger to hardship, this has been the most difficult as I now have a little life I must also consider. Therefore, I made a decision to surrender, relinquished the reins and asked Him to take over and when I did I immediately felt the weight lifted off my shoulders. “When I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4 ESV). While I am not certain how my story will end up, I am relieved and confident in God as my conductor. “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7

The Strength Finders results offer encouragement to a balanced approach applying core strengths (Strengths finder, 2007). Furthermore, now that I walk with the Lord, I rely on confirmation of my balance through God’s word and the Spirit within body of Christ. As I move forward I grow in positivity, knowing I have the hope of Christ within me, which ties directly to my strength of belief. “Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.” Hebrews 10:23 (NLT). In balancing my five strengths, wrapping the first four strengths with the strength of positivity I have in my Lord Jesus, will sustain my success utilizing my assets effectively for the glory of

“You and I arrive at similar dramatic moments in our journeys of faith, don’t we? They occur when we must trust God without the benefit of knowing all the details. The journey is the thing! God uses it to challenge us . . . to rely on Him, unconditionally.”