My Foundation

In the first post, I told you that I have tried to live my life with three types of people in it. People that build into me, people that hold me accountable and people that I build into. I started by telling you about the people I have built into and the lessons I learned from them. Now, I'm going to tell you about those that helped build into me. I consider these people to be part of "My Foundation." Mike There is a man that has had more of an impact on my life than he'll ever know. As a young boy, I was interested in TV news and he was already doing it. Mike attended our church and my Dad asked him if I could shadow him at work some day. Mike was open to it and let a wide-eyed overweight kid see his dreams come true. I followed Mike around from story to story - day after day. Mike photographed, edited, reported and anchored the news. He gave me my first taste of the TV newsroom. As a shy kid, it took a special person to be able to relate to me. Mike's ability to connect with me and value me not only helped shape my career, but shape who I am as a person. I manage the way I do and focus on the things I focus on because Mike taught me values at an early age in TV. You can't put a price on this. I followed in Mike's footsteps, getting my first job at the TV station he worked. Now Mike is a pastor. Time will tell if I continue to follow in his footsteps! Dave At my darkest moment of life, a guy I hardly knew walked through the scary doors it with me. I was in college, experiencing some health issues. My cousin who worked at the college introduced me to a guy who was interested in media. He and I went out to coffee and drove a couple hundred miles as he listened to what was going on in my life. Instead of overreacting, he calmly helped me make some tough decisions and he stood by me in those decisions in the weeks and months to come. He was a role model and a friend. For several years following, he would check on me and my health. Dave prayed for me, listened to me and encouraged me. He also taught me how important that is to do for others. I hope my efforts in this area will be honoring to both him and more importantly the Lord. Dad This probably isn't a surprise, but the man responsible for my foundation - more than anyone else is my father. He raised me to love others, raised me to care for others, raised me to work hard and raised me to love the Lord. He didn't do this by telling me everything, he let me learn it and he loved me through it. Unlike a lot of people, I grew up with a Dad who interrupted meetings to take care of me, who would drive hours to make sure I was okay, who provided a calm voice in a chaotic situation - you don't get that anywhere else. Dad taught me value in taking care of people. He taught me "helping people" could be a hobby. I am thankful for my Dad teaching me how to be a Godly man in an un-Godly world and that you can be successful while standing for the Lord at the same time. I have a firm foundation because of Godly men committed to showing me the way. It is their legacy I hope to carry-on for others. Next Post... The people that kept me accountable