As I look back over the lives of people who have impacted my life in a positive way, I can think of no one more important than my youth pastor, Douglas Elsey. .
During my elementary years, I attended Azure Hills Elementary and then Bryn Mawr Elementary School from the 1st through the 5th grade and later transferred to Redlands Junior Academy in the 6th grade. Initially, I was to attend Cope Middle School for junior high, but circumstances caused my parents to enroll me in private school instead. .
Making a transfer between schools can be a difficult transition for some students. Usually they are overwhelmed with making new friends and the adjustment to a new curriculum that includes religion courses. However, this adjustment period influenced me to become more involved in religious activities. Due to the smaller class size, I actually found private school to be fun because of greater student/teacher interaction. Several school activities, such as band and choir, require church performances. I soon found myself involved in these activities in addition to the youth pathfinder organization. This is how I met Pastor Elsey.
Pastor Douglas Elsey was our church youth pastor and he also taught religion classes at RJA. During the 3 years I attended Redlands Academy, he became an influential person in my life. Not only was he a good pastor, but also he was a great teacher and really made religion classes interesting. As the years went by, I could ask his advice regarding any problems that I had with relationships or about any questions related to my studies. It may seem ordinary to some, but to me, a seventh grader, he made a lasting impression. I was confident in my friendship with Douglas Elsey and I felt that I could always trust him for help as well as personal support.
In many ways, his personality had a contagious effect. He has an amazing positive spirit that transcends to other people.
One of the people that impacted his life the most was his mother. ... said my mother" (13). ... Another person that impacted his life was Katriona Delahunt. ... These three people weren't the only ones that impacted Christy's life, but they did play a huge role in it. ... Every person Christy met impacted his life in some way because they showed him something that he never was able to see before. ...
They take TV for granted; it's just a normal part of everyday life. ... I have grown up watching TV, and its influence on my life is undeniable. ... - I protested as my mother yanked it away and usurped my newly-earned knife-using privileges. Sadly, my profound lack of independent thought didn't end with the knife incident. ... However, of all the TV programs and commercials that influenced me as a child, gymnastics broadcasts have impacted my life most significantly....
I knew my family history "by heart." ... My mother would cook a huge meal. ... My mother is a great spiritual influence; especially seeing her commitment to prayer and fasting impacted my family believe in God. ... I also accredit some of my teachers for my success. ... My husband and I followed in my mother's footsteps as we raised our four daughters. ...
My Beliefs Do you ever wonder why we do the things the way we do? ... My own cultural heritage, like many Americans, is virtually untraceable. ... Throughout my life I have been taught that pre-marital sex is morally wrong. ... This belief system is impacted greatly on the beliefs that have been passed down from generation to generation within a culture. ... My belief system has been most affected by the cultures that make up my cultural heritage. ...
I have met many different and interesting people who have played important roles in helping me shape my personality and who have even caused significant changes in my life. ... I can think of one person, however, who has impacted my life in the most positive way •my friend Gina. For the two years that I have known her, other than becoming one of my best friends, she managed to make me reconsider my values, the way I view myself, and the way I perceive life in general. ... The way she stood up for this value made me question my own values and think about what really mattered in my life....
Like Jack Beechum in The Memory of Old Jack, I too have been impacted by the places in which I have lived. Place has impacted my values, political ideas, and personal goals. ... My personal goals in life have also been impacted by the environment in which I was raised. ... Subsequently, education is a top priority in my life. ... Like Jack Beechum in The Memory of Old Jack, I too have been strongly impacted by place. ...
My life was much simple, less time consuming before I had a child. My life has changed in many ways, especially with daily life activities. I knew having a child would change a lot of things in my life, but I didn't know how much time consuming it could be with everyday life. ... In conclusion, I will admit that my life was less busy before I had a child. ... On the other hand, my son has impacted my life in many good ways that it's beyond explanation. ...
A Great Life Growing up as a military dependent has impacted my life in many positive ways. ... Sometimes I would not know when my parents would tell me it was time to move again resulting in my having to make new friends again, but I believe it's the best life out there. ... Mobility has been my way of life. ... Living a military life has inspired me to be more patriotic, respectful of other people, and proud of my country. Most of what I know is saturated with the military life I have experienced: my family structure, my vocabulary, my ability to communicate, and the responsibil...
