Influence, the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something is an interesting conversation. We chide the young about the importance of avoiding bad influence, encourage the inexperienced to learn how to exert influence, and lean on the mature to gain the impact from their influence. Influence is all around us, which leads us to analyze, scrutinize and emphasize the how, why, when, and who. It is the "who" of influence that I wish to talk about. Recently I read a story (unverified) about Albrecht Durer, a German artist of the late 1400's to early 1500's. According to the story, Durer grew up in a poor but large family of eighteen children of which he was the third child. Early in life he displayed talent in artistry. Because of this a close friend of his offered to work in the mines for Durer to pay for him to be able to attend school for his art. ...
Learning to Please God with a life that doesn't always want to do just that.