As we go through life, there are many people who have a profound influence on us, some for the negative and some for the positive. While some of these influences are well known (the Billy Grahams, the Rosa Parks, the Mother Theresas, the Nelson Mandelas, etc.), most people who influence us the most are not known at all. They are our family members, our colleagues, our friends, our church family, our neighbors, and others with whom we have daily contact. I have had hundreds - if not thousands - of people who have influnced my life. While a few have influenced me negatively, most have been a positive influence without ever knowing it. Listed below are just a few people - some living and some dead - who have made a huge impact on my life.

A brief list of those who have impacted me and why: Jeff Sanders for his consistently positive attitude; Jane Pigg for her quiet and calm demeanor; Larry Evilsizer for his devotion to Christ; Scott Washburn and Jesse Greever for their undying loyalty; John Marple for his complete honesty; Wayne and Elois Wade for teaching me and dozens of other teenagers how to water-ski; Heather Ellen Dixon for her unbelievable toughness and love; Zig Ziglar for his humility despite his fame; Greg Hughes, Greg Pitchford, and James Morgan for spreading the Word and being Godly men; Doris Schworer for teaching me there is no such thing as a stranger; Stan Depee for being a friend to the downtrodden; Shawna Cooke for being there throughout the years; Paul and Betty Swadley for making a point to develop real relationships; the Younge brothers for being there regardless; Julie Orr for being so extremely organized; Amber Murray for being able to withstand the worst with courage and trust; and Jack Houseman for being the rock of his family.

Although this is just a short list of people who have influenced my life, the point is an important one. All of us have an impact on those around us, regardless of whether we realize it. Most of the people I have listed would not realize how much of an influence they have had on me. How does this relate to you? There are people you come in contact with every day who are watching you, whether you know it or not. They are watching everything you do and listening to everything you say. We are impacting those around us on a daily basis, often much more than we know. You and I have an extreme influence - it is simply an influence we may never realize we had on another’s life - our unknown influence.